Creatures of the Light
by TTarTrainer
Summary: D encounters a strange young woman in an inn and ends up getting more than he bargained for. Was originally submitted under another account I've lost all access information to, but has been largely overhauled and reworked. Reviews are always welcome.
1. Fated Meeting

**A/N:** As was said in the description, this was originally posted under another account (Saranii) I've lost my access information to. However, this isn't just a random copy-pasta of an old work of mine, no sir. I recently decided I not only wanted to finish this story, I wanted to do a major overhaul of the first six chapters that were posted back when I first started this fic. The original was okay, but it needed better grammar, better sentence structure, better plot progression, better _everything._ So if anyone who reads this revision read the original, be prepared for a lot of changes (hopefully all for the better). To all new readers, enjoy the ride :D.

* * *

_Red eyes gleamed in the darkness…darkness so complete that even the cold was sucked from it. There came a growl, an animal growl, low and angry. A sudden flash of pink lightening lit the area up, revealing the hunched form of a werewolf. The huge beast gave a snarl as it eyed its quarry, a young girl no more than five or six. Her hair was deep purple, and looked black in the darkness as the light from the lightening flash faded. But then there was another bright pink flash, and the girl's gold eyes were glowing. She lifted both hands, chanting under her breath in a tongue not understood. The flare died again, but was once more revived as another brilliant flash tore open the night sky. The scene was horrible…the young girl suddenly charged forward just as the werewolf lunged for her…fangs flashed in the receding light as the two combatants met…_

D sprung awake just in time to hear someone moving outside in the hallway. He paid it no mind; it was an Inn and people were allowed to roam the halls when sleep was being stubborn.

He had been having this same dream the past month now. Though it had never progressed past that critical point, the Dhampir was certain he knew how it would end. After all, such a young child facing a full-grown werewolf would have no chance. Even a Vampire would be easy prey.

Again, he heard the sound of movement coming from the hallway. This time he could tell someone was standing outside his door. Shoving the dream aside, he stood with silence and moved to the door, listening and grabbing his sword from where it was propped at the foot of his bed. Not a moment later the door abruptly flew open, and D had to nimbly move backwards to keep from getting hit in the face by it. As the door opened, a beautiful young woman rushed in before hastily slamming it behind her. She looked awful; her clothes, hair, and skin were covered with blood and dirt, and her hair was tangled something fierce. She was wild with panic as she leaned against the door and slid to the floor. She wrapped her arms around her knees and pulled them to her chest, putting her face in her arms and sobbing. Not once did she seem to notice the bemused Dhampir standing over her. He was about to speak when something finally alerted her to his presence.

The young woman, who only looked around nineteen, jerked her head up and stared at him in surprise. She then hugged her legs tighter to her chest in fear, though D was under the impression she wasn't scared of him. She swallowed thickly and started to ramble through her sobs.

"They…killed him…oh God….why? Why? It isn't fair…he would never hurt anyone…it isn't fair… They tried to kill me for trying and protect him…but…but…they didn't know…" She gave up trying to talk then, crying harder as she buried her face in her arms. Her shoulders jerked violently with the force of her grief.

D felt a twinge of pity for this girl in his heart. He moved to kneel beside her, noting that the blood covering her didn't seem to be coming from her. The girl began to rock back and forth as D quickly looked her over. He didn't see any obvious injuries, but there could be something under the tattered clothes she wore.

"Are you hurt?"

"No, but...they killed Christion! They KILLED him! Why? It was so awful…they made me watch as they killed him, and they made him scream so much, and all the blood…how…why…?" The girl dissolved into tears again, and D gently reached out to help her to her feet. He wasn't getting very much useful information at the moment; he needed to calm the girl if he was going to get anywhere.

"Your name?" he asked.

"My name…my name is Reen…" the young woman replied shakily. D steered Reen to his bed and gently pushed her down as she swallowed a few times and sniffed loudly. It seemed she was beginning to compose herself. Deciding to give her a few more moments, D turned from the girl and went to the window. There he saw the scene and briefly wondered how he'd slept through such a spectacle.

His sharp eyes spotted someone hanging from a rope in the middle of the city, several dozen yards away. Their stomach was sliced open and the innards lie strewn across the hard cold ground. Blood was everywhere. It truly was a ghastly scene, even from this distance. He heard Reen coughing a bit from all her crying and turned to see her curled up on the bed, sobbing softly now. She was looking at him, her ruby eyes taking him in. He went to the bed and Reen watched him as she sat up. Her hair, which was white, was stained red with her friend's blood.

"What's your name?" she asked softly. D was silent for a moment, not having expected the other to be ready to talk quite so soon.

"D," the Dhampir answered a second later. Reen didn't reply as she sniffed and looked to the window.

"He was a werewolf, but he was the only true friend I had," she explained. "And they killed him just because of his blood…it's not right…why couldn't they just leave him alone? They knew he'd never hurt anyone."

D was silent. Most people would offer their sympathies to someone who'd just been through such a thing, but the Dhampir wasn't so sure his unexpected visitor would appreciate a stranger apologizing for the murder of her friend. Despite the initial fear and emotional torment, something about her struck him as…strong. Independent. Almost otherworldly.

After a few moments, Reen's sobs died away and she sat with her chin resting on her knees, which she'd pulled back to her chest. She was humming softly as she gazed out the window; D knew she couldn't see the body from that angle, but he had a feeling she still saw it in her mind's eye. She gave a sniff and lowered her head, closing her eyes and muttering under her breath.

"_Shein, zoila ondn poej dns, Christion. Meuan wudn'inne zaerhas_. The Gods carry ye, Christion. May your soul be forever safe in their light."

"I hear someone coming," D said as he glanced to the door. Reen stood, facing at the door and narrowing her eyes, looking distinctly predatory for a moment. After a moment of intense staring, she abruptly whirled to face D and stepped towards him. Moving with unnatural speed, she gripped his shoulders before he could move back and pulled herself up, whispered something into the startled Dhampir's ear.

"You must help take back the Creatures of the Light, from the talons of black evil," she said in an urgent whisper. "They must not be tainted. They cannot be tainted. You are the only one I can turn to now. Heed these words, Dhampir, D. For they shall decide whether yourself, and all of existence, survive or perish." She moved away then, hastily shoving something into his right hand before darting to the door, stopping only long enough to turn back and give him a look.

"Wait-" D started, but the door was open and Reen was gone before he could say anything else. The door slammed shut behind her as she fled, and after a moment D heard people shouting, "There she goes!" and "Don't let her get away! She tried to protect him!" He went to the window and watched as Reen shot off with amazing speed. She was fast enough to be Dhampir, but her presence and scent hadn't marked her as one. Such speed was not something humans could achieve, though…

A few people followed her several steps, but soon realized they'd never be able to catch her now. Shouting and calling to each other, they turned their backs to the darkness which Reen had fled into.

"That certainly was unexpected," said the symbiot in his left hand suddenly as D looked down at whatever it was that Reen had given him. It was a small Dragon pendant, carved from white jade. It was glowing softly and warmth radiated from it. He studied it for a moment, then asked, "What do you suppose she meant by that?"

"You're asking me for advice?" said the symbiot, sounding shocked and pleased at the same time. "Well…I don't have any idea. Sounds like a prophecy to me. I _hate _prophecy, you know. How is it you always managed to get tangled in situations like this?" D ignored the parasite's inane complaining as he studied the pendant for another moment before pocketing it.

"We'll probably see her again," he commented instead, turning his gaze back out to the night beyond his room's window.

"Why am I afraid you're right about that?" the symbiot asked.

* * *

As it turned out, D was indeed right.

Two days after leaving the village, he was traveling across a barren stretch of wasteland, moving his cyborg-steed at an easy pace. He didn't currently have a contract or a potential client to meet, and nothing that wanted to devour him was currently giving chase. As such, he saw no real to rush; at any rate, his horse needed time to rest after the past weeks of running it had done. The metal joints and supports in the beast's legs and chest could wear down in no time if constantly pushed.

The sun was just beginning to set, and there was a pleasant breeze blowing. The blazing heat of the day was already giving over to the cool of night, and the hooves of his mount were beating against the ground in a rhythmic beat. It was a rare moment indeed when the Dhampir was able to appreciate such surroundings, since things were usually trying to kill him. He allowed himself to relax, just a bit, but remaining alert to the slightest change that might signal an attack. As it was, he became aware of the figure in the path of his horse when anyone else would have been oblivious to them. Even from this distance he instantly recognized the girl.

It was Reen.

He slowed his mount to a canter as they approached, then drew the horse to a stop when she was about five feet away. She stared at him for a moment, and D realized that even though he had recognized her before, she looked much different from the blood-covered wretch he'd met the other night. She was clean this time, not a speck of blood on her. She was wearing a tan shirt and white pants, covered in a light-gray overcoat. She had dark brown hiking boots on, and her ivory hair was neatly done up in a braid down her back. Her ruby eyes glittered in the dimming light as the two watched one another, and when it became obvious Reen wasn't going to say anything, D spoke instead as he dismounted. For some reason it seemed strange to address the girl from the back of his mount.

"You need a Hunter?"

"You know why I'm here," Reen answered. Her voice was confident this evening, strong and showing no hint of the sadness she was probably still feeling over her friend's death. D didn't answer, and this time Reen was the first to break the silence that fell. When she spoke, her voice had lost a bit of its strength and was softer. "I returned later the other night to bury Christion. Late, when none were up. They would leave him there till the demons and animals picked him clean. But I wouldn't allow it. They will be after me, no doubt sending another Hunter. Not a Vampire Hunter, of course. Just a normal Hunter."

"Another?" D inquired, not having missed the specific statement. Reen offered a faint, humorless smile.

"I was there the other night because Christion and I had been to that village before. During our first visit, Christion made the mistake of letting it slip what he was, thinking no one was around to overhear. The villagers managed to rally a Hunter to come after us. We were caught by surprise as we left the village; they shot Christion in the leg with a silver bullet to keep him from changing, dragged him to the center of town while the silver poisoned him. I wanted to stop them, but it was so sudden…by the time I could even form a thought to fight back, I'd been knocked over the head. They thought I was a demon or something…" Reen shook her head when she realized she was rambling. "It doesn't matter. What's important is that, as of now, I must accompany you."

D cocked an eyebrow at the sudden declaration.

"Unusual, for someone to willingly travel with a Dhampir," came his reply. Reen shook her head, suddenly looking impatient and a bit irritated.

"Let me see the carving I gave you," she demanded, and D drew it from the pocket he'd stowed it in. It was still glowing, a small beacon in the quickly-falling darkness of night. "The jade is blessed. It glows when in the presence of those with a pure heart."

"I am Dhampir-" D started, but was cut off as Reen waved a hand dismissively.

"It doesn't matter what you are. I have known demons of the lowest ranks to be nobler than humans of the highest."

"You've traveled much, then."

"You could say so," Reen agreed with a nod. D studied her for a moment, contemplating where the discussion was going to lead. There was something he needed to learn before anything else, information the young woman hadn't volunteered yet.

"What are you?"

Reen's eyes widened a bit at the abrupt question, something she was clearly not anticipating. Her ruby eyes flickered with some sort of inner fire that died before D could place it. She walked past him to his horse and absently patted the animal's warm neck.

"How… could you tell?"

"Humans can't move as quickly as you do." But there was something else, something niggling at the back of his head. Her presence was…strange. He realized with a fair bit of surprise that he'd never encountered anything like it, which was saying something considering how long he'd walked the planet.

Reen said nothing for several minutes, simply stroking the cyborg horse's neck. She was quite for so long D started to doubt she'd answer, but when she did, her voice was hushed.

"I am Dracolye," she said, not facing D to see his reaction. As it was, the Dhampir at first thought Reen was suffering from some mental illness. Claiming to be one of the Ancient Gods…but there was no denying that he'd never felt a presence like hers before. Yet if she were truly Dracolye, her story of how she and her friend had been caught made no sense. And what of the panic and fear from the other night? Surely no God would react in such a way to a situation like that.

"What, you don't believe me?" Reen suddenly asked in a heated tone, her words bringing D out of his musing. He watched as the young woman turned to face him with indignation in her eyes, but her ire drained away almost as quickly as it had appeared. "I…I wish I could prove it, but I can't." She raised her hands in a gesture of helplessness, dropping them as her body drooped. Something flashed through her eyes, a fleeting expression that spoke of ages come and gone. A sense of crushing longing and sadness radiated from the girl at the same moment; in the blink of an eye, both the odd expression and heavy emotions vanished. Reen regained her composure and straightened, facing D with a determined look etched into her face.

"Why?" D asked, though he'd witnessed enough to believe the girl's claim, despite how outrageous it was.

"An incident that happened when I was young," Reen replied. She shrugged in a manner that said nothing more would be discussed about the issue. Without another word, she turned to D's horse and hoisted herself into the saddle, settling down as D watched her.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm coming with you, remember? I told you the other night I need your help."

"One doesn't normally impose themselves on someone in such a manner," came D's response, "especially when someone is a Hunter who spends most of their time traveling."

"Well, I just have. If you don't help me, then you won't have anyone to give you a reason to Hunt, let alone anyone to Hunt. Everyone will be dead. Gone. No more." Reen's voice dropped a bit as she leaned forward in the saddle, a desperate plea in her eyes as she stared down at the Dhampir before her. "The Creatures…they are being gathered by a Vampire. You can't imagine the sort of power he'll have if he gets his hands on the essence of all of them."

D didn't reply right away, instead taking a moment to go over the information he had. This girl, Reen, claimed to be one of the Ancient Gods, beings that were said to have immense powers. She also claimed she was trying to save the Creatures of the Light, themselves rumored to be extremely powerful beings. D had heard many stories about them over the centuries; if anything, they were said to be as strong as the Dracolye. But why this one girl, and why did she seek his help so badly? Perhaps she'd heard of him, and while D wasn't so arrogant as to consider himself one of the strongest beings alive, there were plenty of others who did.

There were several questions that he currently had no answers to, but as he thought about it, there was really no reason to turn down Reen's request for assistance. He had a fair amount of money saved from his past few contracts, so he wouldn't need to take any jobs for some time. He had no other pressing matters to see to, either. As it stood, there wasn't anything he'd lose from this venture if it turned out to be some elaborate ruse or the (quite sanely worded) ravings of a madwoman. If it turned out to be a trap…well, he was used to people trying to kill him, so it wouldn't be anything new.

And if it was all true? Just as he'd heard rumors of what they could do, D also knew a good number of legends that spoke of the power one could obtain by collecting the Creatures of the Light. It was said that when the essence of each had been gathered together, it unlocked a strength one couldn't fathom. On top of that, being able to control the Creatures would make their master a force to be reckoned with, thanks to having such powerful beings at their beck and call. If this was indeed such a dire situation, there was no way he could ignore it.

"There are only three out of his grasp," Reen suddenly mentioned, a note of urgency in her voice. "He must be stopped. I can't turn to anyone else; there's simply no time." The young woman shrugged half-heartedly as she added, "Think of it as a contract, except I can't offer any money. But then, some things are more important, are they not?"

D could sense her anxiety as she waited for his answer. The Dhampir wasn't one to make hasty choices, though he'd already come to a decision. He stepped towards his horse and easily pulled himself into the saddle behind Reen, reaching around her to grab the reins. He heard Reen exhale in relief and sensed the tension drain from her as he flicked the reins, spurring his mount into a fast-paced trot.

"Well then, let's go save the world, shall we?" she commented as they rode towards whatever awaited them.


	2. Taste of Blood

It was close to midnight when D halted his horse and they dismounted. He started setting up a camp and getting a fire going while Reen watched. Finally, after the fire was going strong, Reen went to sit, yawning tiredly. She watched as D tethered his mount to a small stake he'd had in one of the saddlebags, then came over to join her by the fire. She was more than ready to get some sleep, but she was too full of nervous energy to go straight to bed. Instead, she stared at the black cyborg horse nibbling at a tuft of scraggy grass.

"I don't suppose your horse has a name?" she asked, but got no answer. She sighed a little; even though she'd only been in the Dhampir's company for less than a day altogether, she already knew he wasn't one for speaking much. "I'll take that as a no, then. In that case I'll call him…hmmmm…how about Nightmare? He certainly looks terrifying from this angle." The newly-christened steed flicked an ear as it glanced at Reen, chewing a mouthful of grass and swishing its tail. "Perceptive beast," Reen said with a smile, watching as Nightmare blinked at her before lowering his head back to his meal.

Neither of them said anything after that, and Reen tilted her head back to look at the bright stars in the sky. A desire burned inside her all of a sudden, and she had to fight to hold back unwelcome tears. How long had it been…? Tearing her gaze from the expanse of black, she instead focused on the fire. It wasn't until she concentrated on its warmth that she realized the night air had a bone-penetrating chill to it, and a shiver that caused her teeth to click together raced through her body. A few seconds later something black filled her vision, causing her to blink in surprise. She glanced over at D and saw him holding his cloak out to her.

"Cold?"

"Just a little. Aren't you?"

"The cold doesn't bother me too much. It'll get worse towards dawn."

Reen nodded and gratefully took the cloak, wrapping up in it and watching the fire again. After maybe ten or so minutes, she glanced at the Dhampir beside her and found he was staring into the fire as well. Reen sighed softly and looked past the small blaze, into the darkness. What was he thinking about? She almost wished he would say something, strike up some conversation to distract her from the pining that had settled over her and keep her from wanting to stare into the sky.

That was when she saw the glow of eyes, a brief flash that she would have missed had she still been looking at the fire. A low growl rumbled in her chest as she abruptly stood, moving with more speed and grace than one would expect thanks to being burdened with a heavy cloak. D was on his feet in an instant, drawing his sword so quickly Reen didn't even realize he'd done it until she saw the blade in his hands.

"What is it?"

Reen didn't answer. Letting the cloak fall away to the ground, she rushed over to where she'd seen the flash of yellow. She knew from the color it was no desert animal, and even though the implications were unsettling, she was glad for something else to focus on other than her moping. As she ran, she crouched over so she was low to the ground. A moment later she saw a small shape trying to dart away, but she put on an extra burst of speed and caught up to it before it could flee. Her hand flew out and closed over a warm body, closing like a vice around the creature as it squealed in alarm. It then shifted in her grip, and a sharp pain stabbed through Reen's hand and arm as the thing she was holding dug its teeth and claws into her flesh. Less than a second later D joined her, staring at the beast with his impassive blue eyes.

Reen was holding a creature that looked like a large furless bat, its skin the color of a bad bruise. Its massive yellow eyes filled most of its skull and were currently bulging, both in terror and because Reen had locked her fingers around its throat. Her knuckles were going white from the strength of her grasp and blood was beginning to drip from the wounds on her hand and arm, but she ignored everything save the creature itself.

"_Ethanos_," she hissed softly, and the little creature gave another squeal. D watched without questioning what was going on. The thing tried now to free itself from Reen's grip, thrashing around fiercely and scratching at Reen's arm. She paid the new injuries no mind as she narrowed her eyes, focusing all her concentration on the ugly little creature she was holding. The world around her contracted until she only saw the struggling beast, blocking out everything else around her.

"_Ethanos_," she said again, her eyes suddenly flaring white as her hair, which began to billow around her. Thin tendrils of blue-silver fire began to dance around her form. Reen vaguely sensed D take a step back, but it was of little importance. She could feel power welling up in her, power she hadn't accessed in quite some time. She normally wouldn't use it in such a minor case as this, but her emotions weren't very clear at the moment and she needed to blow off some steam.

"_ETHANOS_!" she cried again, and this time a huge wave of energy burst from her body as the tendrils of fire rose into a maelstrom that raged around her. The fire lanced at the beast she held in her hand, blowing over it as it shrieked in fright and pain. Reen released it after a moment, watching it fall and writhe in agony as the fire ate at its soul. The flames died away a few second later, leaving a blackened form of the thing lying there. Reen stared, her hand still outstretched, blood now flowing freely from the punctures and scratches that had been inflicted on her. Suddenly, the glow faded from her eyes and the fire around her burned away.

She stared at the immolated body before glancing up, her eyes somewhat glazed from the power she'd just released. Slowly the rest of the world came back into focus and she became aware of how cold she was. She then looked back down at the dead creature and glared at its charred remains before her returning awareness alerted her to the bites and scratches on her hand and arm. She held up her hand and gave a little gasp at all the blood, wincing as she realized how bad some of the wounds were.

A heavy warmth suddenly engulfed her and she jumped in surprise. It took her a moment to realize D had retrieved his cloak and draped it over her shoulders. She scowled a bit; it had been some time since she'd used so much power, but it had never taken so long for her full perception to return. She shivered again under the cloak, knowing it wasn't the cold that caused her tremors. She felt exhausted now, after using so much of her energy in what should have been a simple spell.

Without warning, D suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her a bit closer. Reen gasped again in shock, her heart rate skyrocketing as D reached into the cloak and grabbed a piece of fabric from one of the pockets. He proceeded to wrap Reen's bloody hand and arm, tying the cloth snugly afterwards. He then released her and turned away.

"Oh, but you gave me a shock there!" Reen said with a nervous laugh, putting her good hand over her chest. She'd thought the Dhampir was going to attack her for a moment, and she didn't have the strength to fight him off. She instantly regretted saying it, though, and awkwardly lowered her bandaged arm as she picked at the cloak around her shoulders.

"The wounds are deep, but they will heal quickly since they are small." D said simply, before heading back to where the little fire still burned. Reen watched him for a moment, wanting to apologize for her thoughtless comment but unable to find the words. She sighed, irritated with herself for her lack of tact, and went to join him by the fire. She sat down next to him, staring aimlessly into the blaze as she started to recover some of her spent energy. At some point she found her gaze going to the sky again, but this time she noticed that the moon was full. She felt a pang in her heart that had nothing to do with her earlier yearning.

"Christion would be out right now, and maybe I'd be with him," she said in a quiet voice. It would be a long time before she could see the moon and not feel grief for the werewolf's death. The only consolation was at least he wasn't suffering now. D didn't say anything, which Reen was grateful for. She didn't want words of sympathy at the moment, she just needed to talk about it. She lowered her gaze back to the fire as silence returned, save the crackling of the flames.

"What was that thing?" D asked a while later as he lay on his back, eyes closed. He'd seen quite a few things in his life, and it was rare when he wasn't familiar with something.

"A vesio. A rare breed of demon, and one of Zaicondii's spies," Reen answered.

"Zaicondii… the one, I presume, trying to gather all the Creatures of the Light?"

"Yes."

There was silence. After a few moments, D asked, "I thought you said you couldn't prove you were a Dracolye?" _Ethanos _was a spell only the Dracolye could use, forming a portion of their spiritual energy into a blaze that consumed the souls of those it burned.

"I…" Reen sighed and stood up, pacing anxiously as D sat up and watched her silently. She hadn't been completely honest when she said she couldn't prove her heritage; she simply hadn't wanted to waste precious energy she might need later. Finally she ceased her pacing and stared at a spot on the ground, unsure of how to proceed. She hadn't told very many the story of her past, and she always felt awkward when she shared her history. Eventually she took a deep breath and simply started talking.

"When I was very young, my family was attacked by a Vampire. He was so very powerful, it shouldn't have been possible…he killed my parents and my brothers with little effort. I tried to fight him, but I was the youngest and was just coming into my powers. I was bitten…and most of my abilities were lost. The virus that causes vampirism does something to a Dracolye, alters us in a way that leaves us weakened and vulnerable compared to what we normally are.

"I was lucky, regardless of what I'd lost. I survived somehow, and I still had a few of my powers, my Healing abilities and my lowest level of Elemental magick. A spell such as _Ethanos_ is a minor fire spell, one a Dracolye learns as a child, yet it takes nearly all the energy I have to use it." Reen gave a faint laugh, though it was full of bitterness. "And even though I escaped with my life and some of my powers, I can't assume my TrueForm. To feel the wind under my wings again…I would trade anything in my possession for such a thing." Again she found her gaze drawn to the sky, which she hadn't touched in more years than she cared to remember. Sometimes the desire to shed her human guise was so overwhelming she was left immobile, and she wondered at those times if maybe she was going mad. She'd heard it happen to Dracolye in the past who, for one reason or another, couldn't take their TrueForms.

"How long ago was this?"

"I don't really know anymore. Perhaps eight or nine hundred years? I was barely a century old when the attack happened." Reen lowered her gaze to the Dhampir watching her and suppressed the urge to fly into an immature rage about how unfair it all was. "I try to forget the incident as best I can. It's not something I like to dwell on."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. What happened has happened, and at any rate, it's not like any of it is your fault." She shrugged and turned from him, walking over to Nightmare and patting the horse's side absently. He whickered at her softly, turning his head and bumping it against her shoulder. She smiled a little at the equine's show of affection; he really was alarming to look at, with his enhanced crimson eyes and the ebony metal horns that rose from behind his ears, used in combat to spear opponents.

"Maybe we can get going? I'm suddenly not so tired," she said after a few moments, turning back to D.

"Are you sure? You said yourself that spell took most of your energy."

"I'll be fine. I can recover on the move as well as sitting here doing nothing."

D studied her, then stood without a word and joined her. He helped her into the saddle, which left Reen feeling somewhat embarrassed, then mounted up behind her. Moments later they were off once more.

* * *

The darkness was so evil that even the werewolf kneeling before it feared to venture too close. A voice dripping with such raw malice it made the werewolf's fur stand on end came forth.

"What news do you bring me?"

"Sire, the sentry reports that two are moving due-east, towards the Forsaken Isles. And that the vesio spy has been killed."

"Good…they will prove themselves to be easy prey…" the cold voice said, chuckling softly. The werewolf shuddered and slowly inched back a bit. All it wanted was to get away from this utter evil. Unfortunately, one does not always get what one wants. As the Were backed away, a wave of the icy blackness shot forward and engulfed it, dragging the howling beast into its depths. The voice laughed cruelly as the werewolf was devoured, still screaming, by the living darkness all around.

"Soon…they shall all be under my grasp…and I will have the world…"

Anyone walking by would have lost their minds from the sounds of horror coming from within the malevolent veil of shadows…

* * *

It was two days later when the attack came.

D was running Nightmare at a steady pace, Reen asleep against him, when something exploded from the earth beneath them. Nightmare gave a whinny of shock as Reen cried out. D was thrown to the earth, Reen landing with an 'oof' next to him. Nightmare wasn't so lucky; the huge beast that had attacked them held the cyborg horse in its jaws.

"A sandwyrm!" Reen gasped as the huge worm-like serpent dropped the mangled horse to the ground. It towered above them by nearly fifteen feet, with more of its bulk under the sand of the wasteland. It opened its jaws, revealing rows of wicked fangs that extended down its throat as it emitted a loud shriek. D narrowed his eyes and drawing his sword. Reen hastily grabbed his left arm, her eyes full of fear and her head whipping back and forth.

"You can't! It'll kill you!"

"It'll kill us if we do nothing," D replied, and Reen knew he was right. She released his arm and started to focus her energy, hoping to distract the sandwyrm and give D a chance to attack safely. Before she could gather her concentration, the hulking beast drove its fanged maw at them with surprising speed. D easily dodged the attack and struck with his sword; Reen let out a surprised squeak and ungraceful spun out of the wyrm's range as D's sword caught it along the side of its face. Screeching in rage, the wyrm reeled back and shook itself, shedding large drops of foul yellow ichor from the wound. It then abruptly withdrew, sinking under the sand within seconds.

"Oh, this isn't good," Reen muttered nervously. She stared at the ground, afraid to so much as twitch. Sandwyrms tracked their prey via vibrations in the sand and were sensitive enough to pick up on even the smallest tremors, even when several dozen feet below the ground. A single step would alert the wyrm to her location. She looked up at D in time to see a large bead of yellow ichor dripping from the tip of her sword. Her heart froze when the drop hit the ground, and within a few seconds the sandwyrm surged out of the sand directly beneath the Dhampir. The force of its ascent threw D into the air, where its jaws snapped shut around his right side. Reen gave a little scream as fear seized her heart with painful, icy talons. She didn't know what to do and felt utterly useless as the sandwyrm shook its prey before abruptly dropping the Dhampir with a pained screech. Reen saw a jet of ichor arch from its face; D had apparently stabbed it in an effort to get free.

He hit the ground a moment later and didn't move, a plume of sand kicking up from the impact. Reen rushed over to kneel next to him as the sandwyrm flailed above her before retreating underground again. The young woman couldn't see D's injuries through his clothes, but there was a startling amount of blood on the sand under him. She pulled the Dhampir upright and slid a hand under his shirt, instantly finding the ragged holes the wyrm's fangs had torn into his side. Screwing up her face in concentration, she called upon the Healing magick within her in order to close the wounds. As she did, though, D's body went rigid; he didn't make a sound, but Reen could tell he was in pain from the way his muscles went taut. Then his skin flushed under her fingers, as if a sudden fever had come over him.

"Something's wrong…" she muttered, then groaned. Sandwyrms were like normal snakes; some were venomous and some weren't. Sandwyrm venom was highly potent, moving slowly through a victim's body and causing immense pain as it traveled. The heating of his skin signaled this particular sandwyrm was indeed carrying poison in its fangs, and wyrm venom was one of the few things that resisted a Dracolye's healing ability.

"Okay…hold on…there has to be something…"the young woman muttered, fear clutching her. There was nothing but sand in all directions for miles; there was no way she could carry D for such a distance, what with Nightmare being destroyed. She couldn't simply leave him to seek help alone, since leaving a wounded Dhampir in the middle of a desert during the hottest part of the day would probably be a death sentence. She looked around, more out of desperation than actually thinking she'd find anything to help, and spotted Nightmare lying about twelve feet away. She felt a spark of hope when she realized that the cyborg horse wasn't as badly damaged as it had seemed during the attack. Slowly, she lowered D back down and hurried over to the equine, kneeling beside him and reaching out. She had never tried to Heal a cyborg before, and she wasn't sure it would work.

A faint glow surrounded her hands, and much to her surprise, Nightmare's damages began to disappear. She gave a cry of relief, and as soon as the cyborg horse was back on his hooves, she led him to where D lie. The horse knelt down as Reen lifted the Dhampir onto his back, then mounted up and gave the reins a hard jerk.

"Hurry, we don't have much time!" she cried, and Nightmare whinnied, taking off like a bolt of lightning across the sands.

* * *

[D, wake up. D! Hey, wake up!] the voice of an old man called. D moaned and slowly came to, sitting up and wincing. He looked down and saw his entire midsection covered with gauze. There were splotches of blood dotting it on the right side; why was he wearing bloody bandages? His mind was a bit fuzzy and he narrowed his eyes as he tried to remember what had led to him being in such a situation. He winced again as a wave of pain lanced through him, momentarily distracting him.

After the pain receded, D realized he was in a dark room. The only window was covered with a thick curtain, and he could see it was night. He wondered once more as he looked to the door how he had gotten here, and where Reen was.

[Sandwyrm,] came the same old voice from earlier. D raised his left hand and was greeted by the sight of a small face in his palm. The face looked like an elderly man's, except where there should have been eyes, there were instead only black holes. [A venomous one, no less. It tried its damnedest to turn you into a midday snack, but you stabbed it before it could gulp you down. After that merry little romp, Reen Healed your horse, and here we are.]

"How long has it been?" he asked the parasite, but received no answer. He heard movement outside the door, which opened a moment later to reveal Reen in the doorway. She was holding something he couldn't see very well; the venom from the sandwyrm had left his senses befuddled and slow to return to normal. When she saw he was awake, the young woman silently closed the door and walked to the bed. She sat down next to him and stared at the floor for a long moment before speaking.

"I'm glad you're okay," she said softly. D winced again as another wave of pain raced through him, then posed the same question to her as he had the parasite.

"How long since the attack?"

"Earlier today," Reen answered. "You're recovering a lot faster than I thought. I wasn't expecting you to come around so soon, even for a Dhampir. It's a good thing Nightmare wasn't too badly damaged from the wyrm…that's how I got us here. I was able to Heal him, thank goodness." She looked up at him with a faint smile, then held out what she was holding. It was his cloak, folded neatly, and a black shirt sitting atop it. D realized then that his old shirt was nowhere to be found, and that Reen was wearing white robes. Her hip-length hair was free from its braid and wet. Now that his senses were starting to become normal, he could smell hints of vanilla. Apparently the Dracolye had taken a shower recently. Slowly, he took his cloak and set it beside him. Reen looked down at the thick gauze around his midsection and scowled a little at it.

"Your dressing needs to be changed again," she said, but made no move to stand. Instead she looked back to the floor.

"Where are we?" D asked, breaking the uneasy silence between them. He became aware of just how close Reen was and forced the thought away, ignoring the warmth radiating from her and focusing on the sound of her voice.

"An Inn in the Forsaken Isles. I got the room for free when the keeper saw how badly hurt you were. He was the one who got the antivenin for the sandwyrm poison as well. We owe him much, but he told us we don't have to worry about paying him. It's rare to find such kindness these days." Reen waved a hand absently. "It took a while to get the antivenin here, so there's probably still some of the venom in your system. It should be cleaned out by tomorrow."

More silence. D shook his head for no real reason, slightly shifting his weight away from Reen. At least he knew why his wounds weren't healing properly; sandwyrm venom was extremely potent stuff despite how slowly it moved. As long as even a small trace of it was present in his body, his natural ability to quickly heal would be hampered. The lingering poison also explained the persistent dulling of his senses and the stabs of pain that kept shooting through him.

"You tried to Heal me…" he said, suddenly hypersensitive to Reen's presence. A discomfort started to grow in the back of his throat, extending all the way down to his gut. He needed a diversion and the silence wasn't providing it.

"It didn't work…Dracolye can't heal sandwyrm venom. It's one of the only things that can resist our powers."

D nodded slowly. He looked to her, and saw that she still looked worried. Her concern was somewhat touching and momentarily made him forget about the burn that was slowly getting stronger in his throat.

"What's wrong?" His voice was different. Deeper, rougher. His own ears heard it, but Reen seemed too distracted to notice the subtle change.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing. Just thinking." She smiled weakly. "And I'm glad you're okay, like I said. I was worried…you were going to die before we got here…"

"Why?"

Reen didn't answer. She shifted slightly, then shrugged.

"I need your help," she said after a few seconds. D narrowed his eyes. In most cases he would let a situation like this pass without further discussion, but the burning was starting to become irritating. Unfortunately, the only current victim for his increasing ire was Reen.

"Why else?" he demanded, and Reen only stared at the floor before suddenly standing and heading towards the door without a word. "Where are you going?" the Dhampir asked, realizing too late how harsh he'd been and regretting it. Reen opened the door and glanced back, an unreadable expression in her eyes.

"I…your dressing. It needs to be changed." She then walked out of the room, and after a minute or so D made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat.

[I think you may have upset her,] said the parasite said softly. [You're losing it, D. Get a hold of yourself.] Normally the symbiot would be taunting him for something like this, but it and D both knew now was hardly the time for poking fun. It wasn't often when the Bloodlust stirred in the Dhampir, but when it did, it did so with a vengeance.

"Shut up," D said as he waited for Reen to come back, a distinctly out-of-character thing for him to say. There was a heat to his voice the parasite had heard only a handful of times, and for once it did as it was bid.

About ten minutes later, Reen returned. She carried a few things with her: a bowl of water, some scissors, a large roll of thick gauze, and some dried herbs. She went to the curtain and opened it, allowing the light of numerous torches and the moon outside to light the room.

She sat beside D, setting her utensils on the little table near the window. She muttered something under her breath and a faint glow enveloped her hands; she then deftly crushed the herbs and dropped them into the water. Afterward she picked up a cloth and dipped it in the water, using it to stir the liquid for a few moments before letting it sit in the bowl and picking up the scissors. It took only a few quick snips to cut away the old bandages, which Reen wound up and set on the table. She then took the rag out of the bowl and wrung it out before turning back to D, bending over and delicately dabbing at his injuries.

The Dhampir looked down and watched her work, amazed how gentle she was being. He had been healed plenty of times during the course of his life, but none of them had been so kind in doing it. After a few moments, Reen put the blood-soaked rag back in the bowl and set to wrapping D's wounds. He watched her intently, unable to understand why she was being so tender in her ministrations. Even the people who didn't mind his heritage had been rougher in their treatment. Perhaps Reen didn't believe sharing blood with Nobility meant one was immune to pain, as it seemed she was trying her best not to jostle the wounds too much.

Reen had just finished wrapping his wounds when she shoved her hair out of her eyes, grumbling as she tied the dressing in place. The motion revealed a thin strip of bare flesh between her shoulder and neck, which caught and held D's attention. Almost instantly his entire world shrunk down to Reen, everything else shut out and ignored entirely. Within seconds he could sense the flow of blood in the young Dracolye's veins. The scent in the room changed and took on a definite spicy musk aroma; the scent of Reen's blood, which was like nothing he'd ever come across. It was the blood of a God, so very close, beckoning and whispering…

[D!] the parasite's voice hissed in his mind, causing the Dhampir to snap back to his senses. He locked his jaws shut and turned his head to the right, away from the inviting view of Reen's bare skin. It didn't alleviate the smell in the room now, which caused the burning in his throat and stomach to reach near unbearable levels. He clenched his teeth together and focused his stare on the door, trying not to notice every little shift and movement Reen made as she finished getting his bandages in order.

"D? Is something wrong?" Without thinking, he turned to face Reen when he heard her worried voice. She was sitting up now, her hair flung back in a way that showed not only her neck, but her shoulders as well. It seemed she didn't realize her robes had slipped a bit as she worked. There was concern in her eyes, but D found his gaze drawn to her skin, just inches away from him. He heard her say something else, but his mind didn't register the words. The scent of her blood had gotten stronger now that more of her skin was exposed, and it was so powerful he could practically taste it. He became aware of an acute tingling in his canines, a maddening sensation that came with the growth of fangs.

[D!] the parasite called again, this time sounding more concerned. [Snap out of it! Hey!] D barely registered the words, but a part of him rebelled against what nature demanded. He lifted a hand and closed his eyes, intending to push her away but instead grabbing the front of her robe and drawing her closer. He heard the girl gasp in surprise as she was pulled towards him, yet offered no resistance. He could sense her confusion, but there was no fear. Didn't she realize what was happening? It certainly didn't seem so, and so he tried again to fight his instinct. He would have told her to leave if he wasn't certain opening his mouth would lead to what he was trying to avoid.

He was fighting a losing battle, though, and Reen's constant shifting and twitching as she spoke words he didn't comprehend wasn't helping matters. The Bloodlust was hard enough to fend off when he was healthy and his unintended target a normal human; as it was, he was injured and still poisoned to a degree, and Reen's divine blood had a more alluring scent than any human's (or non-human's, for that matter). It was almost unheard of for him to lose control, but he knew he was too far gone to stop himself. Unless Reen left…

She didn't. He felt her hands on his shoulders, heard her speak again but still couldn't focus on her words enough to make sense of them. He could sense that she was closer now, the distance between them almost nonexistent. His eyes opened as he jerked on Reen's robe, pulling her against him. Moving with lightning speed, he moved forward to meet her and closed his jaws on the left side of her neck. Fang easily tore through skin and flesh, and Reen's startled cry was unheard as blood rushed into his mouth. He felt her squirming, but without realizing it, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.

_Blood._ After decades of resisting temptation, he was sating a hunger that he had fought his entire life. The same spicy musk that had filled his nose flavored the Dracolye's blood, but it also held a rich sweetness. It was nothing like human blood, and in fact it made human blood seem as bland as ordinary water. And it wasn't just the taste of it that drove him to drink, or the fact that he could feel his stubborn injures mending themselves faster. There was a subtle power in this girl's blood, filling him with its strength. He could become as powerful as the oldest Noble…

…Or even a God.


	3. Chase of Cat and Mouse

When Reen awoke, she was stiff and sore. She soon realized it was because she was curled into a tight ball, lying on top of a twisted mat of sheets. She slowly uncurled as her joints and muscles protested the movement, grunting from the dull pain. Once she'd straightened, she stretched for a moment to limber her aching body before getting out of bed. She looked out the window and saw it was morning, yawning widely and heading to the door. She ran a hand through her hair before realizing she was still in her bathrobe from last night. Sighing, she headed out the door and down the hall to the bathroom. There she found her clothes, clean and neatly folded on the sink. She didn't remember washing or folding her clothes last night and decided the innkeeper must have done it for her.

Reen shrugged off the bathrobe and quickly got dressed, looking in the mirror and running her hands through her tangled hair. As she tried to tame it, she caught a glance of something that made her pause. Slowly, she reached up and pushed her hair over her left shoulder, twisting her head a bit to the right. There were two neat little marks on her neck; bite marks. The memory of last night struck her suddenly, and with it came the revelation that she was actually still quite tired. She reached up to rub the scars as they twinged.

She still couldn't believe how ignorant she'd been as she gathered her bathrobe, only now seeing a bit of blood around the neck on the left side. When D had started acting as he had, she'd thought he was in pain or that something else was wrong. Even when he'd grabbed her and pulled her in, she'd thought he was trying to say something, not keep her from getting away. When he'd bit her, it had finally dawned her on just what was happening. While startled and a bit frightened at first, she had eventually calmed down. After all, she had more than enough blood to spare a bit, right? And D's wounds hadn't been healing, even though the sandwyrm venom had been nearly purged from his body. She also didn't have to worry about losing more of her powers, since the virus that caused vampirism was diluted too much in a Dhampir to cause the alteration that stole a Dracolye's abilities. They weren't immune to the effects of blood loss, though; at some point she must have passed out, because she remembered feeling light-headed and dizzy one minute, and nothing else until when she'd woken up several minutes ago.

"Stupid," she muttered, leaving the bathroom and heading back to the room. She hadn't been afraid of dying, but she realized with a shudder how very easily the Dhampir could have killed her. She stopped at the doorway, letting the idea sink in. She was stronger than any human, stronger than a lot of other creatures, but she knew she wasn't nearly as powerful as D. She hadn't really given the thought much time before, but after last night, she couldn't ignore it. If something happened, if something went wrong…Inhaling deeply, Reen let herself absorb how fragile she was compared to the Dhampir and how easily he could end her life. After coming to accept the fact, she pushed it away and focused on more important matters. Opening the door to the room, she tossed the bathrobe onto the bed and turned to head down to the common room.

D was already there, sitting at the bar with a glass of water near his right hand. His sword was against the bar. He looked up as she came down the stairs, nodded in acknowledgement, and placed a few coins on the counter as she came over. The innkeeper, who was behind the bar stocking one of the shelves with alcohol, glanced at the money and frowned at it. He obviously wanted to argue the morality of taking their money, but instead he sighed and shrugged. When he spotted Reen, he reached under the bar and came over, holding a package out to her.

"The young Mistress has received a parcel. No word on who sent it. It came last night, delivered by a young man. He said it was of great importance that you receive it." Reen took it, smiling at the elderly human.

"My thanks," she said, glancing down to see a long, heavy envelope under the thick string that held the delivery's wrapping closed. It was a small package in an awkward shape; Reen had no idea what it could be or who would have known they were there in order to deliver it. The thought that it might be a trap or something crossed her mind and made her wary of whatever was inside the paper.

"My pleasure, young Mistress," the innkeeper replied as D stood, taking up his sword and slinging it over his back. The old human looked over at him and offered a bit of a smile. "Good to see the sandwyrm didn't claim another victim. Might be a good idea to stock up on some of that antivenin for the future." D nodded at the man in thanks, and he hobbled back to stocking his shelves. D turned from him and went to stand by Reen, ignoring the various patrons that sat in the common room. Some of them looked terrified of his presence, while a few looked angry and aggressive. Reen glanced around for a moment, and without a word the two of them headed for the door.

*Once outside, Reen opened her letter and quickly read it. She then paused, eyes narrowing to slits. She gave a growl and crumpled the letter up, dropping it to the ground as she clutched the package tighter. D watched as she passed him, then looked back at the paper.

"Is it wise to leave that here?"

"It is of no importance. As is the one who wrote it," Reen said in a tight voice. She kept walking past the stables that Nightmare had been kept in overnight. D waited for a moment before calling, "Where are you going?"

"To visit an old friend," Reen answered, and there was something in her voice that told him said visit wasn't going to be a pleasant one.

* * *

"Everti! Everti, answer the cursed door!" Reen called loudly, banging on the wooden door of a little stone hut on the outskirts of town. There was a wide awning that shaded the door and small porch, which Reen shifted on irritably. She waited for a moment as someone undid the latch and opened the door about an inch. An old face peeked out at her a second later, breaking into a friendly grin upon seeing her.

"Reen! How good to see you! I take it you received Mushin's letter?"

"Yes, Everti, my friend. And I am none too pleased about it either."

The old man named Everti opened the door wide, moving back to allow the two to enter unhindered. His smile widened as he watched Reen pass, then turned to D, who simply nodded as he followed Reen inside.

"I'll go fetch the foolish boy. I told him you wouldn't take kindly to receiving such a summons, but he wouldn't listen to a wise old man. Idiot believes he knows everything!" Everti said with an exasperated sigh. Reen smiled at him.

"Thank you. And would it be possible for a bit of tea, please?"

"No worries, m'dear! Coming right up!" The old man hobbled off as Reen sat down. D remained near the door, quickly scanning the room they'd been led into. It was a small living room, with a single white table and an old black couch pushed against one wall. The windows were small and covered with heavy black curtains, and the room would be nearly pitch-black if not for the bright lamp sitting on the wooden table. The place was sparsely furnished and didn't feel at all welcoming. Reen didn't seem to notice, though, and appeared perfectly at home.

"Who exactly are these people?"

"I met them about ten years ago. I was passing by here on my way to a town I visit regularly. This town was being rampaged by a Dremora, a fairly high-level one at that. I took the liberty of killing it for them, saving these two in the process. That fool Mushin has had an eye for me ever since." Reen glared at nothing in particular. "Acting as if I did what I did solely for him. And now he calls me here for this ridiculous reason! I should have just ignored him…" She trailed off and stared down at the package.

D said nothing, curious about what the letter had contained to rile the young woman up so much. She didn't seem keen on sharing, though. Besides, he had something more important to focus on, that being the odd air he'd felt since entering the house. He could sense something amiss but had no idea what it could be.

[Eh, if it's not one thing, it's another,] the parasite's voice grumbled in his mind. [But there's definitely something weird going on here.]

After a moment they heard voices. Everti was talking to someone else, whom D presumed was Mushin. Just then, a young man who looked to be in his early or mid-twenties rushed into the room, looking bit wild. His black hair was done up in a short braid and his deep gray eyes were troubled. He spoke to Everti in a language D hadn't heard before, then turned to Reen.

"Thank the Gods you actually came!" he said in a relieved tone, and Reen cocked her head.

"What on earth are you talking about? It surely didn't seem that serious…"

"No! I did that only because…I feared if I told the truth and someone else got hold of the letter before you did…I knew if I made it something so ridiculous you would come just because you were angry…"

"What do you speak of Mushin?"

"I…" He shot D a look and sighed heavily. "Perhaps we should speak of this in private?"

"And why would that be?"

"It's about your recent interests…" Reen gave a start at this, and then shook her head.

"No, it's fine. D here is assisting me in my quest. It's safe for him to hear what you have to say." Mushin shot D another look, making it obvious he wasn't very happy having the Dhampir around, let alone trust him. D could see it on his eyes. He paid it no mind; he was used to people not liking his presence.

"Very well then. A few weeks ago I was traveling through Han'golos. There I stopped to replenish my resources for the rest of the trek to my destination. I was seeing an old friend who's quite ill.

"Anyways, I was at an Inn, and there were some people talking there about an interesting person one of their pals had claimed to see. She was a young girl, with golden eyes and purple hair. She looked like a mere child, only seven or eight. But they said their friend could tell something was different about her. He claimed to have seen her go into a cave were a Chimera was known to live. And if what these men were saying is true…then that young girl is a Creature of the Light! Only one such as that could control and calm a Chimera.

"And here's the crazy thing: the man claims that he asked the girl where she lived, and that she said she actually lived with the Chimera!"

Reen said nothing, going over the information. It was true that only a Creature of the Light could keep certain creatures docile, and a Chimera was one of those beasts. She frowned a bit as she stared at the package in her lap, absently picking at the strings holding it closed.

"Where is this cave?" she finally asked.

"About a day-and-a-half's journey north of Han'golos." Reen nodded and made to stand, but Mushin waved for her to sit back down. "Do you know what is within that package I sent you?"

"No, I haven't bothered to look yet."

"You might wish to do so," Mushin said. Reen sighed and did as she was bid, untying the strings and unfolding the paper. Nestled inside was a small object maybe seven inches long that looked like a dagger of sorts. The hilt was made of ivory, but the blade was a thin layer of clear crystal and had a rounded tip. There were strange symbols engraved in the hilt, and there was a finely polished ruby embedded in the pommel. Reen gasped sharply when she saw it, glancing up at Mushin with a mix of awe, shock, and confusion in her gaze.

"This is the Heart's Desire!" she said excitedly. D now understood her reaction, having heard of such an item in many of the rumors surrounding the Creatures of the Light. It was an artifact that would focus and multiply the strength of a Creature, giving them incredible power. So much, in fact, that the Desire would only work for one who was honest and noble of heart. Those with ill intent or blackness in their heart would find no worth in the object.

"How did you acquire such an item?" he asked softly. "Surely such a thing of myth was not easy to get?"

"Actually, it was. There was an old man in that inn that had come across this little item and didn't know what it was. When I told him he said he had no use for it and gave it to me for free! Surprised me, it did."

D found the story a bit unusual, but there was no doubt as to the legitimacy of the thing, as a sort of unusual power dripped from it.

"Why give it to me?" Reen questioned, carefully folding the paper and tying the package shut again.

"You're searching for the Creatures of the Light, the last three still free from Zaicondii's grasp. This may come in useful against him if you find them."

"I…I don't know what to say…"

"A simple thank-you would be fine."

"Yes, thanks indeed!" Reen agreed, holding the Desire cautiously as she stood. "I will see to the young girl, and find if what the man was talking about was true. Hopefully he wasn't just making up a story for attention." Mushin nodded.

"I agree. It would be a great waste of valuable time if the information was false," said the young man as Reen went to join D near the door. She then realized she had never gotten the tea Everti was still making and sighed.

"Tell poor Everti I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer. I shall return as soon as I inspect this, and stay for a while."

"He knows you, always popping in and out. He'll understand," said Mushin as he walked to the door, opening it for them. He and Reen said their good-byes, then Mushin shut the door after they left.

* * *

D gave a slight start as he sat behind Reen. She shifted bit and looked back at him over her shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

"I just realized…that young man described someone I have been dreaming about…a young girl fighting a werewolf." The Dhampir paused for a moment. "Perhaps this is no false rumor?" Another thing struck him at that moment and he added, "By any chance have you told them how many Creatures are still free?"

"No, I never did…how would he know such a thing? I never even thought about it."

"Just as I only now realized that your friend was speaking of a girl I have been having dreams of."

"It's hard to say. Maybe I did mention it at some point, though I don't remember ever doing so. As for the girl, it hardly seems like it could be coincidence. Maybe someone was trying to tell you something, you know, send you visions or something?"

D said nothing as they rode on, now feeling as if they were being led into a trap. It was rare for him to ignore such a feeling, and the symbiot in his hand knew it. Before it could speak though, D tightened his grip on the reins to tell it to remain silent.

As they rode on, D became slightly uncomfortable. He was remembering last night all too well, the whole thing playing out over and over in his mind. What stood out the most was that power he'd felt filling him; more than anything else, that was what drove him to feed once his injuries had healed. It was only luck he'd become aware of Reen passing out, and that was what truly concerned him. In the past his Bloodlust had never caused him to drink to the point of threatening the life of his unlucky target, but if he had remained oblivious to Reen's condition for much longer, he could have easily killed her.

He had been struck with exhaustion after situating Reen under the sheets, a common side-effect of feeding. His body needed rest to process the blood and finish healing, and he'd fallen asleep so quickly he hadn't really had time to think about what had happened. It wasn't until he'd woken in the morning that the full realization of the night's event had hit him. He'd had his few moments of brooding about it, but had come to the decision that if Reen would still have him, he'd continue to accompany her. If not, he was certain she could find someone else to help her. As it was, it seemed she wasn't concerned with what had happened, at least not the point that she didn't feel safe enough to keep traveling with him. All the same, D felt the need to apologize for what had transpired.

"I'm sorry."

"What…oh," Reen answered, fidgeting a bit in the saddle. There was an awkward silence for a few moments before Reen sighed. "It's nothing, don't worry about it. But you need to know something, a sort of after-effect of what happened. I know you feel stronger now, but it won't last. When a Dracolye willingly sacrifices something to someone, be it energy, blood, flesh, even life, a portion of our power goes with it. The amount of power and how long it lasts before fading depends on what was sacrificed. I suspect your new strength will last a few days. As to how much stronger you are, you'd be a much better judge of that than me."

"I've never heard of something like this," D replied, more than willing to get off the subject of last night's goings-on.

"That's because we never tell anyone," Reen stated somberly. "It's far too easy for one who learns of this to gain the trust of a Dracolye in order to receive these sacrifices. A simple set-up is all it takes, for Dracolye tend to be very loyal to those they care for. If we feel that giving our life will allow a friend or loved one to escape a dangerous situation, we will not hesitate to do so. This has cost many of my kin their lives in the distant past, thanks to the greed of those seeking more strength."

"One must get a great deal of power that lasts long if people went out of their way to receive a life sacrifice."

"That was the problem; the power from a life sacrifice doesn't fade over time." Reen seemed to sadden some as she spoke. "When a Dracolye dies, we can give our very essence, the core of our spirit and power, to another. The essence merges with that being and becomes a part of them until the day they die. It hasn't happened in ages, the last instance being many thousands of years before I was born, but it sounds horrible all the same."

They rode in silence after that, D processing what he'd learned. He would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised Reen had shared such sensitive information with him, especially after last night. He could also understand now why she had said there wasn't anyone else she could turn to for help; she would have had to reveal her true nature to any who agreed to help her, and many of them would be weaker than he was. Reen most likely figured that someone of his strength would be less likely to manipulate her for her essence. It was all very interesting and quite a bit to go over at once, so after a while D asked something of a different nature.

"How did you come to learn about the Creatures of the Light? About this Vampire trying to catch them all?"

"When I was very young, my mother told me all sorts of stories about the Creatures of the Light. About how they were great and powerful beasts, and how they were all different in powers and abilities. She told me they could do just about anything, from creating a universe from nothing, down to making a simple plant grow. She said they could bring life or death just by wishing it.

"About four centuries ago, I was passing through the city of Nontorik. I had stopped to pick up some supplies I'd ordered, food and the like, in preparation to pass through the Forbidden Sands. I was leaving the store when suddenly a werewolf came from nowhere and began to attack someone.

"I was more than a little shocked. Why do such a thing in front of so many people? They were running and screaming, trying to stay away from the beast. I was about to deal with it when I realized he was fighting a Dhampir.

"I didn't know which to attack until the werewolf used an attack my mother had told me only a Creature of the Light can use. A SoulFlare. But he was weak and injured from his battle, and the Dhampir easily survived the attack.

"It was that moment I decided to help the werewolf. But I was young, and a bit too cocky for my own good. I was beaten, and the Dhampir mentioned as he left with unconscious werewolf that his master Zaicondii would soon have all of them, and that he would be the most powerful being on earth.

"Ever since then, I have been trying to find the Creatures of the Light before Zaicondii. But he has many means of finding people at his disposal, and I don't. Every time he beat me to the next one. Finally I learned only three were left, and that was about a century ago.

"I took this upon myself, because I knew that there would never be any peace again if Zaicondii were to get all of those Creatures. If I can find at least one, then Zaicondii won't be able to tap into their powers. Which is why I'm hoping this information about the girl is true, and not someone's made-up fantasy to get attention."

Silence. It was about an hour later before D asked, "How many of them are there?"

"Fifteen," said Reen. "Each is associated with some sort of aspect of the world, like the Dracolye are. Love, Compassion, Honor, Courage, Knowledge, Time, Space, Luminescence, Shadow, Mind, Body, Spirit, Truth, Life, and Death. The werewolf, I later learned, was the Creature of Courage. The three remaining Creatures are Love, Compassion, and Honor. This girl, if she indeed exists and is a Creature herself, will have to be one of those three." D nodded slowly at this new information as the outlines of Han'golos appeared in the distance, and they rode the rest of the way in silence.

* * *

It was close to nightfall by the time they reached the far-out town.

"That's the problem with the Forsaken Isles," Reen said as they entered the closest Inn after Nightmare had been taken to the stables. "It's as bad as a desert about the tricks it can play on your eyes. It seemed it should have only been about an hour's ride to get here!"

The hotel was nicely furnished, with tables and chairs made from rosewood and plush cushions on the seats. The carpet was a rich sapphire and the walls were a deep mahogany. A fire blazed in the huge fireplace. D sat near the fireplace as Reen went to get them a room and something to eat and drink. She came back a few moments later, looking extremely tired. D briefly wondered why as she sat down before he realized how pale she. He figured that after last night's events, and then all the excitement about possibly finding a Creature of the Light, coupled with the long ride, that she had every right to look tired. It was obvious she was feeling just as exhausted as she looked when she stifled a large yawn.

"Here," she muttered, passing him a mug and a plate with some sort of meat on it. She herself had a smaller plate with a bowl of soup on it. D nodded and took the dishes, setting them down before him and eating slowly as he surveyed the room. People were shooting them looks and whispering at each other, and D could catch snatches of conversation as he and Reen ate.

"A Dhampir…"

"…would she travel with the likes of him…"

"To think she bears the blood of the Celestial, travelling with someone like him…"

"…she's actually with a Dhampir…"

"…Reen has lost it…"

"A Dhampir, how could she…"

Reen took a drink from her mug as the barbs were traded, then set the heavy ceramic dish down and sighed. She faced D and smiled a bit, but he could see the anger glinting in her eyes along with her fatigue.

"I've hidden the nature of my longevity by telling the people in this town I'm a demi-angel. It appears they must think this means they can speak as they wish about me and my companions and I'll be too kindhearted to reprimand them about it." She then turned to face the whisperers, and instantly they all fell silent as they openly stared at them.

"Is there something wrong with a Celestial keeping company with a Dhampir?" the Dracolye inquired, her tone sharp from ire and tiredness. "I certainly don't think so…or have you come up with some new law that says it isn't allowed since the last time I was here? I do believe it is my own business who I decide to travel with."

"But Reen-" started a huge man by the bar, standing up. "It isn't right! You're a holy being! He's just a filthy Dhampir." Reen stared at the giant of a human for a moment, then suddenly stood as her simmering anger exploded into a fire that D was glad he wasn't on the receiving end of.

"Recol, how dare you speak of D like that! I will not tolerate you or anyone here making such rude comments just because of his heritage! One cannot help what one is born as. Who are you to say what is right and what isn't, _human_?" This word sent a shock through the room. Everyone gasped and the one name Recol looked dumbfounded. Reen narrowed her eyes and her voice quivered with rage.

"How does it feel? To be called what you are? To be judged based solely on what you are? Well?" She turned her glare upon the rest of the room. Everyone flinched. "Now you all listen to me. I have protected this town and so many others I cannot count them all. But I can take that protection as easily as I give it. Is that understood?" Everyone was silent. Reen slowly sat back down and returned her attention to her meal. D studied her for a few moments before realizing everyone was still looking at them, but no longer speaking. Eventually, Reen finished her soup and threw everyone in the room a venomous look. She stood and nodded to D.

"I'm going to turn in for the evening. I believe that none of these other good patrons will disturb you." She then turned and headed off to their room. No words were spoken as the Inn's other inhabitants watched her go. The moment she was up the stairs, though, everyone quickly returned to whatever they were doing, as long as it wasn't talking about D or Reen. The parasite in the Dhampir's hand chuckled.

"My, she sure did give them something to think about, eh? Haha, something to tell their grandkids. I didn't think she would snap like that. Quite unpredictable, wouldn't you agree? This may be a very entertaining journey."

"She should have just ignored them," D said as he held his mug.

"Oh, and you weren't getting angry when they were talking about her?" the parasite taunted. D didn't answer; it was true that he had been irritated by the way the others had been whispering about the Dracolye, though he hadn't cared about the slander spoken about himself. He was used to it and accepted it, but Reen didn't deserve such treatment. "It's probably a good thing Reen said something when she did, or else a few of these 'good patrons' might have had another reason not to like Dhampirs." D remained silent, not giving the symbiot the satisfaction of reacting to its bait. The parasite, acting rather out-of-character, didn't prod any further and left D to his thoughts. He still felt a low roil in his gut and stood, walking out of the Inn without a word to anyone. A walk would clear his mind and let him get over the unusual anger that had gripped him.

Only when it was well past nightfall did he return to the Inn, where he was greeted by timid looks and weak hellos. He paid them no mind as he started for the stairs, intending to go to bed for the night. Before he could cross the common room, though, the door busted open. D turned to see Mushin come sauntering in, a large grin on his face as he went to the bar and turned to face D.

"So you're finally here! It took you long enough. Where is Reen? I need to speak with you both about something…"

"She is asleep right now," D said answered, studying the young man and realizing something was definitely wrong with him. He was much too pale…why hadn't D noticed it before? And his pupils were slitted like a cat's now as well. D narrowed his eyes as he began to reach for his sword as Mushin grinned more, baring fangs now as he did. That was all D needed.

He had no sooner drawn his sword than Mushin flicked his hand and D was frozen in place. People started to scream and hurry for the doors, but Mushin flicked his other hand and everyone else was frozen as well. He laughed and turned to face D, who was trying to free himself from the invisible grasp Mushin had on him.

"Aww, what's wrong, are you stuck? Heh, serves you right, Dhampir. You shoulda told me where Reen was-"

"Mushin?!"

Mushin turned to face Reen, who was looking quite confused at the moment. She blinked when she saw the fangs that now occupied his mouth. She shuddered violently, momentarily shell-shocked before regaining her wits. With an animalistic cry she rushed forward, moving with amazing speed. Mushin hadn't been expecting this and Reen took the opportunity to hit him square in the face, the blow carrying her full power and knocking him back into the far wall with enough strength to leave a fair-sized dent in it.

[Wow, she's got some power!] the parasite cackled in D's mind as he was released from Mushin's spell. Everyone else was too shocked to move as he nodded to Reen and they both rushed for the door, Mushin moaning while he staggered to his feet. Just as he saw them go through the doors he turned and screamed, "GET THEM! YOU SHOULD HAVE HAD THEM READY!"

Two red-and-blue furred panthers about the size of Clydesdales suddenly barreled down the stairs, causing everyone to shriek again as the two lithe creatures crashed through the door and tore after their quarry. Mushin laughed and went to kick the broken door down, shouting after the fleeing pair.

"Run, run as fast and far as you can! The chase of cat and mouse is on, and the cats are coming, my dear mice!"


	4. New Questions

**A/N: **Bah, even after rewriting a good portion of this chapter, it's still so short compared to all the others. Ah well, at least it's got some action.

* * *

D didn't spare his horse one bit as he and Reen held tight to the reins as Nightmare rushed along, foam flying from the cyborb's mouth. Reen was trying her best to keep his cybernetic joints from breaking down, but she was still exhausted and hadn't regained much energy since last night and now. She could barely keep herself on the horse's back, let alone constantly Heal his overworked body.

D could hear the sounds of their pursuers gaining on them, hear them snarling and shrieking. He hadn't turned to see what was chasing them, but he could tell from their fierce vocalizing that they were large. He'd been too focused on getting away from them to risk glancing back. He'd been too focused to notice much else really, so it was with a bit of surprise that he realized Reen was sniffling, the sound barely audible over the thundering of Nightmare's hooves against the ground.

"Werepanthers," she said suddenly, her voice strained. "I used a scrying spell just now. It's Recol and his wife, Ailii. They're werepanthers. I've known them for years, and Mushin too…" It was obvious that the Dracolye was shaken by not one betrayal, but two, both within a day's passing. D could hardly fault her for being upset, realizing this was the sort of thing that had caused her kind to cut off ties from most of the world's races.

"I have no more magick," Reen added abruptly. "I haven't had enough time to recover using all my energy yet and I have been trying to keep Nightmare from breaking down...it will take at least another two or three days now that I have used the last dregs of my power."

"Don't worry," D said as he heard the sounds of the creatures behind them. "We can outrun-" His words were cut short as something slammed into Nightmare's right side. Reen grunted and grabbed hold of Nightmare's neck to stay on, and D was jarred from his seat. He hit the ground and rolled, getting to his feet, sword drawn.

He could see now that the beasts that were chasing them were indeed werepanthers. Their blue-and-red fur glistened in the light of the half-moon as they began to stalk around him. Nightmare staggered to a stop, sides heaving, and Reen twisted in the saddle to watch.

_~Be careful, D. They are stronger and faster than they look,~_ a worried voice in his mind said. It was Reen, speaking telepathically. _~Watch your back and keep an eye on their claws. Just one can slaughter a creature in seconds.~_

_~Thanks for the warning,~ _D answered, watching the werepanthers stalk around him. He'd never encountered this sort of Were before, as non-wolf variants were quite rare, so he appreciated the information. He shifted his weight and did his best to keep both beasts in his line of sight, but they slunk in such a manner that one was almost always behind him with the other in front. After several seconds he raised his sword a bit and focused on the werepanther in front of him, which he assumed to be Recol thanks to its larger side. Without warning he lunged for his target; the huge beast snarled and jumped out of the way as Ailii pounced from behind, her claws flashing. D sensed her coming and ducked down, twisting and thrusting his sword upwards. Ailii growled in anger as she did a sort of midair twist, just barely avoiding D's sword. But as she landed, D followed her and thrust again, this time hitting home.

Ailii gave a scream as the blade went through her back and came out of her stomach. D pulled back just as she began flailing, her claws catching the end of his cloak and ripping through it like it was tissue paper. Recol gave a scream of rage and hatred as Ailii slumped to the ground, blood running from her wounds and off D's sword. They all watched as she turned back into a woman. Her aquamarine hair was messed with dirt, blood, and debris, her flesh was pale in the moonlight. Recol screeched again, his eyes sharp amber eyes burning with wild fury.

D said nothing as he studied Recol. The werepanther snarled viciously and lunged. D shifted, moving like water, ducking under the werepanther's range of attack. His sword flashed as he snapped it up, aiming for the beast's heart. Recol had predicted his movements, though, and shifted in midair. His jaws opened and, fangs gleaming, he caught D's sword in his mouth. He then sharply twisted his neck, snapping the blade of the weapon clean in half. He spat out the metal as he landed, his tail whipping through the air as he kneaded the ground with deadly claws. D narrowed his eyes and dropped his broken sword, watching as Recol dropped into a crouch. Reen gave a soft whisper. "D...be careful..."

Recol suddenly titled his head, then snarled again and lunged. D crouched, taking the brunt of Recol's attack as the werepanther bit and clawed at him. D shifted under the creature's heavy weight, avoiding each blow. Then, with a sudden snarl of his own, he gripped Recol's head and twisted it to one side. Reen watched in shock as D kept twisting, and finally snapped Recol's neck. He then dropped the dead werepanther as Recol returned to his human form. D narrowed his eyes a little before realizing there was a deep gash on his left shoulder. As Reen dismounted and hurried over to him, he touched a hand to the wound and flinched. How had he received such a wound without realizing it?

Slowly the wound began to heal as Reen came to a stop before him. She put a hand to his wound and frowned in concentration, and in a few seconds she had Healed the gash. She then swayed and gave a weak laugh, drooping as she ran a hand over her forehead.

"I managed to a regain a tiny bit of energy. But now it's gone."

"Thank you."

"What now?" Reen asked, looking to the bodies of Recol and Ailii. D narrowed his eyes.

"They're dead. It's no longer our problem."

"No, they still live. We need to do something with them before they come to." Reen sighed heavily. "Werepanthers are much hardier than other Weres. They can take more damage and heal much faster. A broken neck and a pierced body will slow them down only for a short while. We must-" She was cut off when Ailii suddenly surged to her feet and lunged for Dracolye, grinning evilly. She grabbed Reen's left arm and slid behind the young woman, twisting Reen's arm behind her and locking her other arm around the startled Dracolye's throat. D started to move forward, but Ailii clucked her tongue and snickered at him, tightening her grip around Reen's throat enough to make the Dracolye sputter.

"Hold it, Dhampir. Move and I'll kill her." D growled softly, hearing Recol stand behind him. After a moment he felt the prick of something sharp in his back. D didn't move.

"That was quite a run! Mushin will be here soon and he can deal with them then."

"Very well. So we guard them 'till he arrives?"

"Yes indeed, my dear."

Reen said nothing as D looked at her. She just blinked a few times then closed her eyes. She stood there, and Ailii chuckled.

"Don't feel bad, Reen. It's nothing personal. It's just Zaicondii is very anxious to meet you." She looked at D and smirked. "You and your Dhampir friend here. Isn't it funny how this worked out?"

"What do you mean?" D asked. Recol laughed loudly. He was getting ready to reply when a new voice spoke from their left.

"You'll find that out soon enough," said Mushin as he stepped from the shadows. He laughed as D and Reen both faced him. "Once we turn you over to Master Zaicondii, everything will become clear. And we'll be nicely rewarded for a job well done, we will. Something even greater than when I was shown true life and granted this new strength."

"And when? When did he show you this 'new life'?" Reen asked icily. Mushin chuckled.

"Just about a year ago. Imagine my surprise when he revealed your true nature. Not born of Celestial blood, no, but a mighty Dracolye! How sad, to hide such a wonderful fact from a friend." He smirked at Reen's pained expression. "Anyways, Master Zaicondii is waiting. You two can go now," he added, waving Ailii and Recol away. They nodded, turning back into werepanthers and running off into the night. Mushin chuckled as he flicked his wrist, freezing D once more, and Reen this time too. He studied them before turning and muttering under his breath, waving his hands as he began to open a portal.

At that moment there came a loud neighing and the sound of great weight charging forward. A second later Nightmare shot into view, rushing at Mushin as he reared onto his back legs and struck out at the Vampire. His front hooves smashed into Mushin's head with tremendous force and the Vampire crumpled to the ground. He then stomped on Mushin a few times, as if for good measure, before offering his back to D and Reen. The two quickly mounted up while Mushin groaned in pain from his spot on the ground. Reen stared at the dazed Vampire for a few moments before D flicked the reins and they were off once more.

"Now what?" Reen asked as they rode. D shook his head.

"There's a place we can go to, where you can rest. It's about a two-day's ride from here, and then from there we can go on to the caves Mushin was talking about."

"Do you think we can believe what Mushin said?"

"We have no other leads to go on right now. It's as good a place to start as any," D replied, and Reen nodded in agreement.

"Where are we going?" she asked after several seconds.

"A place I have only been to a few times. It's called the Barbarois. The old man who rules the place, the Barbaroi, will give us protection if we pay him good enough."

"And if we don't?"

"Don't worry about that."

Reen fell silent as they went. Finally, exertion overcame her, and she slept.

"Are you sure you want to go there? The last time we were there, they tried to kill us!" the symbiot said with a touch of disbelief. D remained silent. The symbiot scowled. "D...come on already...there has to be somewhere else."

"No. We'll be safe there. I doubt Zaicondii will think to look in such a place."

"Well, how do you suppose he knew where we were before when we were at that we were at that hotel? The one Mushin sent the letter to? He has spies, D. He's watching us, and who knows for how long."

"I doubt that he will look for us there," D repeated flatly. The parasite sighed.

"Fine, then. Ignore me like always. Just trying to keep you from ending up in a premature grave." There was silence for a long moment before the parasite spoke again.

"I wonder what that Ailii meant when she said wasn't it funny how things worked out? There seems to be more going on here than we're aware of, and I don't like it. The further we get into this mess, the less we know what we're getting into. And now we don't even know if this story about the girl in the caves is true or not…"

"We'll find out eventually," D answered, and the parasite grumbled irritably.

"That's what I'm afraid of."


	5. Hiding in the Shadows of the Barbarois

**A/N: **This chapter was originally two separate chapters, "Hiding in the Shadows of the Barbarois" and "Heading Out". However, I felt both chapters too short to post separately, so I instead combined them into one chapter. Makes it easier to read in my opinion, and it seems the story flows better with them merged.

* * *

They stopped only twice to let Nightmare rest, spending the rest of their time on the move. They reached the Barbarois a little before dusk on the second day, and Reen shuddered at the sight of the massive stone wall that encased the small city.

"Are you sure this is such a good idea?" she asked softly as they rode towards the huge wooden doors that barred access to any not welcome. D didn't answer as he halted his mount a fair dozen yards from the towering doors and called, "I am D, the Dhampir Hunter. I have new business with the Barbaroi."

After a few moments the doors started to open with a horrendous screech of rusty chains. Reen flinched and D nudged his horse forward. Reen shuddered again as she flicked her gaze between the beasts lurking in the evening shadows, peering at them with luminous eyes.

"Young Hunter!" said a small old man on a unicycle, cackling as he rode up to meet them . His gaze flitted to Reen for a second, then returned to D. Reen felt her skin crawl from just those few moments of being studied and felt even more uncertain about finding sanctuary here. "How good to see you! What may I do for you this fine eve?"

"I need to stay here a few days, along with my companion Reen. Three days at most."

"Yes yes, and how much money did you bring? You know our services don't come cheaply. Remember Meier? He paid quite a bit for his protection..."

D nodded and reached under his cloak, pulling forth a pouch heavy with gold. He tossed the pouch to the old Barbaroi, who caught it with great enthusiasm and tucked it into one of his shirt sleeves. He laughed as he did a few circles, and the sound made Reen jumpy and anxious.

"Aahhh, yes, that would be payment enough, I believe! Now then, what sort of protection would you like? Guards and the like, or just the basic aid of all who live here?"

"Just keep us safe. I don't care how," D said as he dismounted and helped the exhausted Reen down from the saddle. Nightmare gave a soft whicker as he was led away by a somewhat humanoid-looking beast. Reen sighed tiredly as the Barbaroi nodded.

"Very well then, let's get you and your lady-friend situated. She seems most tired," he said, leading them away from the eyes of the masses. Soon they came to a large doorway, whose doors opened eerily with no evidence of anyone doing it. The Barbaroi was chuckling to himself as they went down the dimly-lit hallway. Soon they reached a large wooden door, and the Barbaroi waved to it as he turned.

"You and your young friend may rest here until you take your leave," he said with a smile that left Reen feeling uncomfortable, and, still chuckling, left them alone.

Without a word, Reen reached out and shoved the door open, heading inside and collapsing onto the bed as D shut the door softly. After a moment Reen was asleep, and D watched her for a moment before looking around the large room. Despite its size, there was hardly any furniture. The large bed Reen slept on, a few chairs, and a ragged-looking couch were the only things in the room. D removed his cloak and sword and headed to the couch, laying down on the uncomfortable furnishing, feeling quite exhausted himself now. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't fall asleep. He turned onto his side, facing the door, and then faced the bed as Reen sat up groggily. She smiled a bit when she saw D lying on the couch.

"There's more than enough room here, you know. That couch looks uncomfortable."

"It's fine" D replied, a bit taken back by the sudden offer. Reen shrugged.

"Well, if you change your mind, there's enough room for three more people here," she said as she lay back down, and was soon asleep again. D said nothing as he slowly sat up, watching Reen. The symbiot laughed.

"Those wheels a-turning, eh, D? Go on, take her offer. You do need the rest and this couch won't be giving it to you anytime soon." After a moment's silence, D stood uncertainly, and, without a word, went and lay down behind Reen.

Soon, he too, was asleep.

* * *

"Breakfast!" the old Barbaroi called outside the door, giving a few hard knocks that echoed loudly in the large hallway. Reen woke with a moan and sat up slowly. D was already up and heading for the door. He turned back to Reen.

"Let's go."

"Right," Reen said as she stood and stretched. The two of them left their room and followed the Barbaroi to a large dark room, where there seemed to be hundreds of tables set up. Each was weighted heavily with various plates and platters of fodder, as well as various kinds of drink. Reen wandered over to the closest one, and D saw her eyes light up with delight. She took a plate and began to take this and that, and soon she had more food than D thought possible for her to eat.

Reen sat at an empty table and waved for D to join her. He sat on the opposite side of the table and studied the various foods she had. Potatoes, leeks, beef, pork, chicken, three different kinds of rice, bluegill, two kinds of pepper, and a few things D couldn't identify had found their way to Reen's plate. The Dracolye grinned happily.

"This place has normal food!" she said cheerfully. "I thought with all these creatures living here that they wouldn't have anything like this."

"Many of these beasts prefer normal foods," D said simply. "As well as their own...unique tastes."

"Aren't you hungry? You can have some of mine," Reen said, scooting her plate towards D as she speared a large piece of leek, and D realized he actually was quite famished. He reached out and took a piece of pork.

They ate for a while, Reen watching the various habitants of the Barbarois with keen interest, and D keeping an eye out for trouble. He knew many of these beings remembered him from the last time he had come to this place. Most probably didn't think too kindly to him, considering what had transpired the last time he was here. As it was, none gave them trouble as they ate.

Finally, the plate became empty, and Reen sighed as she sat back.

"Well, I feel much better now. Last night was the first night of real sleep I've gotten in quite some time." She stretched as D watched the Barbaroi approach. Discretely he tensed, expecting the worst.

"I would presume the young Miss would like a bath?" the old man asked when he drew up to the table

"That does sound nice," Reen said thoughtfully. She then nodded and stood. D narrowed his eyes a bit as he watched them leaving.

_~Watch your back here, Reen. Don't trust anyone, him least of all,~_he said mentally. At first he wasn't sure Reen had received his message, but then she inclined her head just a bit.

_~Already ahead of you there, thanks,~_she replied as she and the Barbaroi disappeared out of the room.

* * *

"Here is the bathing chamber," the Barbaroi said as he stood by a long, thin metal door. Reen nodded thankfully and watched as the little old man wheeled off on his unicycle. She watched until he'd vanished around a corner, wanting to make sure he was gone before venturing inside the bathing room. She didn't trust him in the slightest and was adverse to the thought of him hanging around while she cleaned up.

Reen entered the spacious room to find a lot of steam and even more heat. She quickly grew uncomfortably toasty and slipped from her clothes, folding them and lying them on a nearby shef. As her eyes adjusted to the steamy gloom, she saw that there were no showers, but many large tubs that were filled with hot water. Reen sank into the nearest one, unawares of the chamber's other inhabitant.

"Never seen you around before," said a soft voice that made Reen jump. The Dracolye looked around for a moment before spotting the other occupant, who was sitting several tubs over and had her back to Reen. "You new?"

"Um, yes actually...my friend and I arrived last night." She shivered a bit despite the heat. "My...name is Reen. You would be?"

"Czaz. Nice to meet you," the other said as she turned to face Reen, who blinked in surprise. The other woman was covered in bronze-colored fur and had bright jade eyes, with a mane of thick seafoam-colored hair that ran about halfway down her back. Despite her furriness, she was actually quite comely. She was lean and curvier than most women and looked to weigh no more than perhaps a little over a hundred pounds. "You said you came with a friend?" she asked.

"Yes, he was the one who bought me here. To rest for a few days," Reen answered. Czaz gave a little chuckle.

"A man, eh? What's his name?"

"His name is..." Reen paused, then, "His name is D."

"D…? You mean the legendary Dhampir D? You're kidding!" Czaz exclaimed loudly, her eyes widening in shock. Reen shook her head and smiled a bit, amused by Czaz's reaction. "Wow! I mean, D? Wow! You think I could meet him! I always heard tales of him when I was younger. I never thought I would meet someone who knows him..."

"Well, I'm not sure to tell the truth. I would have to talk to him. We're both somewhat weary after the past few days."

"Ah, understandable. I can wait until you guys have rested. How long will you be staying, anyway?"

"Three days at most."

"Well now! Not very long, that. What kind of protection did you request of the Barbaroi?"

"Well...D didn't really specify. He just said to keep us safe."

"Well then, that settles it. I'll be your bodyguard, when D can't be around. Like now. We have strict rules here, no men in the women's bathing chambers and vice-versa. If D were caught in here…well, let's just say it would cause a pretty big ruckus. So I'll watch your back for you during times when he can't! Maybe I'll get a chance to meet him!" Czaz paused and looked positively ecstatic for a moment before remembering the choice wasn't hers to make. "Ah, that is if it's fine with you, obviously."

"Of course," Reen replied, bowing her head at the other in gratitude. It made her feel better to have an ally in this strange place. "Thanks."

"No problem. This place is a lot worse than you think. Freaks of all sorts live here. Psychos and crazies and the like. And the Barbaroi...let's not even go into detail about _him_."

"That bad?"

"Oh my, yes. This place is a safe haven for the monsters of both the day and the night. But...the one thing I will say in favor of the old man is he is true to his word. If anyone tries to hurt you and he finds out, he will more than see to them...I've seen it happen and it's not pretty."

They fell silent and Reen took the time to wash herself. About half an hour later she stood, and Czaz followed, grabbing them both a towel and robes to put on. Then, grabbing their clothing, they departed the chamber.

* * *

"Uh..." Czaz stated a bit dumbly as she watched D and Reen greet each other. She waited anxiously, shuffling from foot to foot, eyes wide.

"Who is that?" D muttered as he shot Czaz a look. Reen chuckled a bit and glanced at the furred woman watching them, who was wearing nothing more than a large white shirt that came down to her knees. She'd told Reen that she didn't wear clothes very often; she was a Shifter, and when she changed form anything she wore tended to get torn to shreds.

"Her name is Czaz. Met her in the bathing chambers. She offered to be my bodyguard while we stay here. She's a bit obsessed with meeting you."

"Really? Most want nothing more than to avoid me."

"She certainly isn't one of them. Watch her over there. She looks ready to burst."

"Let's hope she doesn't want to meet me so badly as to kill me the first chance she gets."

"I doubt that," Reen replied with a smile. She sensed no malice or ill intent coming from Czaz, just barely-contained excitement, but could understand D's caution. They went to join Shifter, who gave D a look as though he were some sort of miracle. D felt slightly uncomfortable, never having received this sort of attention from someone before.

"Czaz, this is D," Reen said, and Czaz gave the tiniest squeak. Reen placed a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing, and D simply nodded at the furred woman.

"Uh...right..." Czaz said as she stared at him. She was acting as though she hadn't believed he existed until now. Perhaps she had thought he was nothing more than a myth, the focus of stories told to her when she was little to keep her from misbehaving.

"Anyways...I think maybe I should go and gauge how long it'll be before my energy has fully returned," Reen said with a suppressed chuckle. "We may be able to leave sooner once I have a better idea of how much I recovered while I slept." D nodded, then gave her a look as she turned to leave.

_~You're going to leave me with her?~_

_~You'll be fine. Like I said I doubt she wants to kill you.~_

_~That's not what I'm concerned about.~_Reen laughed aloud at this, earning a puzzled expression from Czaz. A moment later, the Dracolye disappeared and D looked back to Czaz. At a complete loss of what to say or do around this odd woman, he decided to bring up the subject Reen mentioned earlier.

"Why did you offer to be Reen's bodyguard?"

"Because there are times when you won't be around to watch her back. You can't go everywhere with her. She's a woman, remember? What would happen if she were attacked by something stronger than her in the bathing chamber? You wouldn't be able to help her. Strict laws about that sort of thing. But me? I can go where you can't, help keep an eye out for her."

"It's not like the residents here to be so kind to newcomers."

"I'm not like most of the freaks here. I try to consider myself somewhat normal. I might be furry and change into animals, but I like to think I'm as civilized as your average human. And at any rate, there's something about her. Reen, I mean."

"And that means?"

"I don't know, really. It's weird…I've never quite felt anything like I do when she's around. It makes me…happy. I like being near her." Czaz shrugged, obviously unable to express in words exactly how she felt, but D understood. He had felt it the past few days as well. A sort of contentment when he was around Reen, a sense of being at peace. He didn't say anything though, instead studying her in silence. Czaz certainly seemed to be over her initial shock now, staring right back.

"And when we leave?" he asked a moment later. Czaz blinked, not having expected the question. She frowned a little.

"I…really hadn't thought about it, really. But now that you've said it out loud…I don't know if I could stay here around these freaks, not after meeting Reen and being around her, even if it was just for a few minutes. I don't…do you think it might be okay if I come with you guys?"

"That is none of my business to say. Ask Reen when you see her next," D answered, though he was certain he knew the answer. Reen seemed genuinely glad to have Czaz as company, if the way they'd been talking and laughing when they'd returned was any indication. The Dracolye would most likely be more than happy to have Czaz come with them.

"Speaking of which, where exactly did she go off to...?" the Shifter mused, glancing in the direction Reen had gone. She had only just finished speaking when a loud blast came from the same direction Reen had headed. D and Czaz exchanged a glance before following the dying echoes of the detonation, finding Reen about a minute later. She was in a large room, staring blankly at a smoking, scorched crater in the floor. They arrived in time to see a crowd forming, come to see what the commotion was. It wasn't long before the Barbaroi appeared as well, the crowd parting before him as D and Czaz went to stand next to Reen. Upon seeing the damage to the floor, the old man shooed the crowd away, though Czaz refused to leave Reen's side.

"You did this?" he inquired once everyone else was gone. Reen blinked and started, as if only just now noticing that she had company. She gave an awkward laugh, but confusion and uncertainty were clear in her eyes.

"Eheheheh...yes...sorry about your floor."

"My dear, this floor, this entire city, is made out of some of the strongest material in the world," the Barbaroi pressed, staring at the Dracolye with an intensity that made her want to curl into a ball. "It should be impossible for someone to damage it to this extent. How exactly did you do it?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Reen answered softly, fear tinging the edges of her voice.

_~D...I really didn't mean to...I was just testing my strength with an Ethanos spell, but it suddenly grew too large and I lost control of it…even at my strongest that spell has never had so much power…~_Reen's telepathic voice sounded more frightened than her physical one, a sign she was doing her best not to show just how unnerved the incident was making her.

_~We'll figure it out,~ _D answered, though Reen didn't look convinced. She rubbed her arms as the Barbaroi studied the crater in the floor, then turned his attention back to Reen.

"So...you don't know how this happened?"

"I swear, I didn't mean to-"

"I believe you. It's just quite a mystery how you could destroy something so strong without meaning to." Reen said nothing as she looked to the crater, shivering at the sight of it. "Well, no matter. I'll send someone to fix it. Not like we haven't had damages done before!" he added cheerily, giving D a look. He then turned and wheeled off, leaving the three of them alone. Reen shivered again and rubbed her arms once more.

"I just don't know how…" she said in a voice barely above a whisper. Czaz, sensing Reen's distress, clapped her hands together and faced her companions.

"Well...as unexpected as this was, I usually go out for a walk through the woods nearby around this time. You two are welcome to come along."

"I think that would be best," D said as he watched Reen. She looked up and nodded weakly.

"Yes, I do too. Let's go." Czaz nodded once and spun on a heel, marching out of the room and leading Reen and D down a series of halls. They exited the building and headed down several cracked streets before reaching another, albeit smaller, entrance into the city. There was a reptilian beast standing guard, with two heads and six squat legs. It looked like an over-sized crocodile with too many limbs and pale green scales. It hissed at them as they drew near, but Czaz glared at it until it backed away several paces. Czaz pulled on a chain that caused the door to open, waving for the others to follow her. The woods were only about half a mile from the city, so it didn't take long to reach them. Despite the fact that the woods were next to the Barbarois, where many a freak and monster dwelled, birds chirped merrily and various other woodland creatures were busy going on about their own lives.

It was a calming experience to say the least. Reen soon felt her fears of what happened earlier slipping away as she walked beside D, the two of them following Czaz. The Shifter moved with slow and easy grace, and once in a while would stop to spend a moment with an animal here or there. At one point a large white wolf came up to Shifter. Reen watched in awe as Czaz knelt down and gently scratched it under the chin, growling softly. Soon after it had left, and they had continued on.

"This place is pretty peaceful, considering its location," Reen commented wistfully as they went. Czaz nodded and placed her hands behind her head.

"Yeah, lots of the Barbaroians don't come here. They don't like the peace it emanates. They tend to keep to the dark shadows of the Barbarois."

Reen was getting ready to respond when suddenly her right foot shot through a deep yet narrow hole, hidden by the carpet of rotting vegetation covering the ground. She gave a surprised yelp as she hopped to keep her balance, pitching forward despite her best efforts to keep her balance. She was about to fall when D caught her wrist and helped steady her. He then knelt down and worked her foot from the hole as Czaz watched, her brow slightly creased.

"Are you okay?" she asked as D stood and Reen shook her foot. She nodded.

"Yes, I'm fine. I suppose I should be more careful, eh?" She suddenly realized D still had her wrist. She gave a soft cough, and D abruptly let her go.

"You're lucky your ankle didn't twist or sprain," he said as Reen began to blush. "Otherwise we would have had to head back and one of us would have had to carry you." Reen blushed more at these words as they started off again. Reen's eyes, needless to say, remained quite fixed to the ground.

About an hour later, they agreed it was time to start heading back. They were passing a small pond when suddenly a large, lizard-like head popped from under the water's surface and sprayed them with a powerful blast of chilly water.

"ARGH!" Reen shouted in shock as the freezing water hit her. D wasn't as bothered, since the cold didn't affect him as much, but being unexpectedly soaked wasn't something he found enjoyable. Czaz gave an angry growl as she faced their assailant.

"THAT'S NOT FUNNY!" she yelled angrily as the beast huffed in laughter, its head pulling back under the water. Reen stared, wet, cold, and somewhat miserable, as the creature moved through the cold pond with ease.

"You'll have to pardon Ishio. He's a WaterDrake, and is keen on playing tricks and soaking people," Czaz hissed. Ishio's head popped back out and he gave a hoofing laugh. The Drake's scales were iridescent blue and green. He seemed to be about ten feet long at the most, and his wings poked above the water in spots. Reen could see the glint of irritation in D's eyes, though anyone else would have missed it. She shivered.

"Come on, I'm fr-fr-freezing," she stuttered, wrapping her arms around herself as they started off once more, Czaz shooting the still-laughing WaterDrake a venomous glare. They soon came from the woods and stepped into the bright sunlight, which had close to no effect on the cold that had settled into Reen's bones.

"Well well, what happened to the three of you?" the Barbaroi asked with a laugh as Reen, D, and Czaz finally returned to where they were staying. Czaz snarled as she attempted to wring her clothes out for the tenth time.

"Ishio," she said nastily. The Barbaroi laughed more.

"Ah, that troublemaker, hmm? You should have known to avoid his pond! Ah well, come in, dry off, warm up."

"That would be desired," D said flatly, having become thoroughly annoyed with being as soaked as he would be stepping from the shower. The Barbaroi laughed more and led them inside.

* * *

He watched as Mushin writhed, burning in the light of the sun. His lips twisted in a cruel smile as he waved a hand, causing the viewing portal he'd been observing Mushin through to vanish. He wasn't angry that the fool had failed to secure the Dracolye and Dhampir; in truth, he hadn't expected Mushin or the werepanther couple to bring them in. Mushin had played his only important role by sending the pair in the direction of the caves near Han'golos, where their true opponent would be waiting for them.

"Milord..." a lower demon said meekly. "You know where the third of the last is...why not send one of your army to fetch her? And the other two as well? "

"I cannot reach them while they seek shelter at the Barbarois. That would be a fool's mission. As for the girl...I believe we would do good to wait for the three of them to meet. Then I shall send Drasin. He will fetch them for me all at once. Until then, I have other business to attend to."

"Yes, Master Zaicondii," said the little demon, bowing as the Vampire took his leave.

* * *

Time seemed to pass quickly. Soon Reen was well-rested and ready to continue. As D had expected, Reen had quickly accepted Czaz's invitation to travel with them, the latter having asked to come along the night of their walk in the woods. The Barbaroi stood with them as they readied to depart.

"It would seem you are heading in the direction of the old Caves," he said with a sly grin. Reen nodded as D went to get Nightmare. The Barbaroi chuckled. "Why on earth would you want to go to those ruins of a place? Surely you know of the Chimera that lives there?"

"That is our own business," Reen said with a touch of disdain in her voice. The Barbaroi chuckled merrily and nodded.

"Very well, then," he said, seemingly not ruffled at all by Reen's attitude. She turned to face D as he approached when suddenly an enormous bronze-furred wolf that was as tall as her hips came up behind her, nudging her left hand. Yelping, she turned to face the beast. The Barbaroi laughed heartily as D approached, sword drawn.

"Czaz! You should watch yourself. Your new friends haven't yet seen you in a form other than your natural one!" he said with a loud, annoying cackle. The wolf growled at him and then waved its tail as it turned to face D.

"Czaz?" he asked as Czaz trotted over to him, lowering his sword. Czaz gave a happy whine and nosed his hand, then turned and walked Nightmare, who pranced uneasily in the giant canine's presence. Reen smiled and went to join her.

"Let's get going. We don't have much time," she said, mounting up. D nodded and followed, sitting behind the Dracolye. Then, with a flick of the reins and Czaz beside them, Nightmare whinnied and shot off across the land.

* * *

"At last, they leave," Zaicondii hissed softly, watching through the floating portal as the three of them sped off. "Now...the time has come. Drasin!"

After a few seconds, a deep rich voice answered within his mind, _**~Yes, Master?~**_

"Go to your old caves. There will be a young girl there, and within a few days a Dhampir and Dracolye will be arriving, as well as a Shifter. You are to capture all but the Shifter; do with her as you please. You will be leaving immediately. Do you understand?"

_**~Yes, Master.~**_

"And Drasin?"

_**~Master?~**_

"Under no circumstances are you to kill any of the other three. I shall be most unhappy if you do."

_**~As you will it, Master. I will kill none.~**_

There was a moment's silence, then there came a bellowing roar and the sound of large wings pumping outside. Zaicondii watched as he avoided the morning light pouring from the window as a huge red Dragon lifted into the air. The beast was at least fifteen feet tall, all muscle and scale and claw. Zaicondii laughed.

Dhampir, Dracolye, and Shifter would soon learn that nothing could stand against a Dragon's might.


	6. Revelation

**A/N: **AH MAH GOD. I apologize to everyone for this chapter being posted so late, regardless of whether you were waiting for it or not. There's been craziness going on for a while, things like moving, working a job with SUPER inconsistent hours, and having various internet problems. I really don't think there should be any problems getting further chapters done in a reasonable amount of time, so long as more random crap doesn't pop up in the future.

* * *

The journey back to Han'golos was uneventful, and the pace was more relaxed than the rush to reach the Barbarois had been. During the periods they stopped to rest, Czaz would tell stories of her home and her particular breed of Shifter. They were, fittingly enough, known as Furred, and could only assume the form of mammalian creatures, barring humans. Reen would occasionally share a story from her past as well, which never failed to leave Czaz amazed. When she had learned the tragic fate of Reen's family, she had expressed something that confused her.

"Okay, neither of you take offense by this, but I would figure you'd pretty much hate the Nobles and those who share blood with them. You aren't bothered by D's heritage?"

"One cannot help what one is born as," Reen had answered, "and it doesn't determine one's personality or nature. I can hate D no more than I can hate you, or someone I've never met. In fact, I don't hate Vampires at all. I don't like many of them simply because how they treat humanity in general, but I don't hate them."

"Not even the one who…?"

"No, I do not think I hate him, either." Reen's answer had surprised Czaz and D. "I could never forgive him for what he did, if I were to ever run across him again, nor would I wish to forgive him. But I do not hate him. Sometimes I wish I could, but whenever I try, it makes me unbearably sad. Most likely because it constantly reminds me of things I'd rather leave in the past."

They stopped at Han'golos only long enough to replenish their supplies, which were beginning to run low, then made their way towards the caves Mushin had spoken of.

"I think this is a bad idea," Czaz said while they took quick break to let Nightmare rest. "This Mushin guy might have been lying about a little girl staying in those caves, but there's definitely a Chimera that lives there. It's been there for years, as far as I know, and it's a mean bastard from what I've heard. Even worse than a normal Chimera, if they can be called normal in the first place."

"I don't doubt Mushin was lying about the girl, but we have to at least check and see," Reen replied, taking a sip of water from one of the two canteens hanging from Nightmare's saddle. "We have no other leads to go on. And at any rate, I'm sure the three of us can fend off a Chimera, even one that's particularly spirited."

"Spirited, she says," Czaz grumbled, heaving an exasperated sigh as she lay on her back, staring at the leaves of the stunted tree they were sheltering under. "Anyways, I guess you're right. There's really nothing else we can do right now other than go have a look. But if this does turn out to be a dead end and there's no Creature there, what's our next step?"

"We continue to search, keeping our ears open for any rumors of unusual events or beings," Reen replied, sounding as if the idea didn't sit well with her. "It's how I've learned the location of several Creatures in the past, but Zaicondii always managed to get to them before I could."

"And if we _do _find a Creature, and Zaicondii learns they're with us…what do we do when he comes for them?"

"Zaicondii never comes for Creatures himself, he always sends one of his agents to do it. If he does send someone, we'll simply have to defeat them." Reen shrugged and gazed into the distance. "It's the only thing we can do."

They started on their way again about thirty minutes later, riding through nightfall and not stopping again until well past midnight. Czaz fell asleep almost instantly, having used quite a bit of energy by holding her wolf-form and running for so long under the blazing sun. Reen had more trouble finding slumber, staring into the fire D had built with a faraway look in her eyes. After tethering Nightmare and checking the cy-horse's mechanical parts, D joined sat near her.

"You're worried about what Czaz said earlier. About Zaicondii sending his agents after us if we do end up finding one of the Creatures."

"I never really thought about it," Reen said quietly. "But now, I can't stop thinking about that time when I tried to help the werewolf. I was beaten so easily…who's to say it'll be any different now? Zaicondii is no fool, he'll send powerful enemies to ensure he gets what he desires. What if we can't defend the Creature if we find one?" She fell silent, her expression becoming troubled. "I worry that we won't be able to stop him. I worry what will happen if we can't." Quite suddenly, Reen's distress morphed into anger. "It wouldn't be an issue if I weren't so _weak!_" she blurted. "I'm all but useless! I can do little more than stand and watch as _you _do all the fighting, putting yourself in danger and knowing if I try to help, I'll just get in the way!" As quickly as her self-directed fury came, it was gone. Reen sagged and closed her eyes, rubbing her temples and letting out a heavy sigh.

"You are far from useless," D said before Reen could speak again. She opened her eyes and faced him, a multitude of emotions in her eyes. "If not for you, the sandwyrm venom would have most likely killed me. I can heal from many things, but that's not one of them. You also aren't weak; someone who's weak wouldn't have been able to punch Mushin quite so hard." He smiled faintly, and the gesture was mirrored by Reen. "If Zaicondii sends his agents, we'll deal with them, and we'll deal with him if he decides to personally visit us."

"I think that's the most I've ever heard you say at once," Reen commented, chuckling despite her anxiety. D didn't reply and Reen turned back to the fire. "Thank you. I didn't mean to throw my insecurities out there like that. Uncomely for a God, you know, to behave like such a mortal." She snorted at that and shook her head. "I feel as much like a God right now as a slug probably does."

"Is there any way to reverse the effects?" D asked, and Reen offered a shrug.

"I was looking into a possible cure, if that's what you wish to call it, for my current state. My research was interrupted with this whole issue regarding Zaicondii and the Creatures, though. From what little I could uncover on the subject, it doesn't look very promising that there's a way to undo my condition." She gave a smile that was part bitterness and part resignation. "I suppose I'll simply make do with my lot in life until I end up going mad." Here she looked up at the sky, and a fierce longing came into her eyes. "Sometimes it seems it's already happening…" She then shook her head and lowered her eyes back to the fire. "Eh, listen to me. Moping over things that hardly matter at the moment. It's a miracle I haven't mutated into a human at this rate." She laughed a bit, then glanced at Czaz's sleeping form. "There'll be enough time for such troubles once we've settled this whole affair with Zaicondii," she said, standing and brushing herself off. She then bid D good night and went to lie beside Czaz; even though she was clearly upset, she fell asleep within a few minutes.

"Poor kid," the symbiot muttered sympathetically. "She's tougher than she realizes. A lot of Dracolye end up going crazy after just a handful of decades or maybe centuries at most when unable to revert to their natural form. She was so young when it happened…she most likely never discovered her Element. That probably works in her favor, since she doesn't have to contend with losing that part of herself." It was something D had never thought of, but realized was probably the case. All Dracolye represented some aspect or concept, such as Justice or Destruction. They were physical embodiments of a particular element, their powers focused on whatever aspect they stood for. A Dracolye wasn't born with an Element, though; instead, they discovered it after centuries of close training and nurturing by their parents. Only after discovering their Element would a Dracolye be able to access their true power, becoming many times stronger than they were before realizing their destiny. There was very little possibility of Reen having discovered her Element before the attack that stole her family and her very nature.

"You know…there's a solution to this concern Reen has about not being able to keep the Creatures from Zaicondii," the parasite mused, changing topic without warning. "If we were to destroy him, well, that would take care of the problem. Hell, we wouldn't have to waste our time running all over the place looking for the cursed beasts. Zaicondii already wants us captured; we should use it to our advantage. Get caught, get taken to him, stab him in the heart when he's not expecting it."

"It'll hardly be so easy," D answered. "He already has a dozen of the Creatures under his control. It doesn't seem he'd be foolish enough to confront us on his own. He would probably have several of them nearby in case things didn't go exactly as planned. It also doesn't seem likely that he would come after us himself, unless we were to defeat everyone he sent after us."

"A hassle either way," the parasite grumped. "We could just wander around and wait until he sends his lackeys after us, beat them as they come. But I suppose if we're just out wasting time, we must as well spend it looking for allies." D understood the symbiot's frustration; he was used to going after his targets directly, not waiting for them to come after him. He didn't like the idea of never knowing when an attack would come, but their best bet for now was indeed to try and find more allies, especially if they could locate any Creatures before Zaicondii got to them.

D kept watch until a few hours before dawn, at which point he dozed. The first rays of morning sunlight roused him fairly quickly, and he woke the sleeping females shortly after. Czaz came around relatively quickly, but Reen was slower to fully wake up. She sat up and yawned, grumbling under her breath and stretching while Czaz saw to putting out the fire and D untethered Nightmare.

"Morning comes far too early," the Dracolye muttered groggily, her words slightly slurred as she struggled to shake off the clinging tendrils of slumber. She stood and stretched again, accepting a few pieces of dried meat from Czaz as the Shifter finished extinguishing the fire. She chewed on her breakfast, watching D lead Nightmare to them before facing Czaz again.

"I just thought of something. We might need our full strength once we reach the caves, if we have to fight the Chimera living there. Instead of running alongside us, maybe you should just ride with us."

"I suppose I could transform into something smaller, a cat or something, and sit in your lap," Czaz replied, sounding as if she liked the idea more than she let on. Reen mounted up and assisted Czaz into the saddle in front of her, the Shifter never having ridden a horse and having no idea how to get into a saddle on her own. After she was settled, her body began to lose its form, becoming something like a very firm glob of warm furry mud. This glob then started to shrink, shedding excess mass as a new form started to take shape. A thin tail and four slender legs came first, followed by a delicate skull topped with small ears. Finer details, such as whiskers and eyes, followed suit, until a small bronze-furred cat was sitting in the saddle in front of Reen. The cat turned it head and meowed at Reen, curling its tail around its legs and offering a purr. Reen had to resist the urge to pet the Shifter, not certain if she'd appreciate the gesture. D mounted up behind her a moment later, and after making sure Czaz wouldn't fall from the saddle, spurred Nightmare into a gallop.

The outlines of a large cave network appeared on the horizon around noon, and another two or so hours passed before they reached their destination. D slowed Nightmare to a trot as they studied the caves, which had numerous entrances. Reen made an exasperated noise and shook her head by the number of cave mouths they were presented.

"How are we supposed to know which way to take? These mouths could lead to any number of caves or dead-ends." She paused, then looked down at Czaz. "I don't suppose you could turn into a dog or something and find the Chimera by scent?" Czaz looked back at her and adopted an expression that cleared said she didn't like the idea, but once Nightmare was drawn to a halt, she leapt out of the saddle onto the hot sands. Reen and D dismounted as well, and almost at the same time Czaz arched her back and started to growl and hiss. The others faced the cave she was looking at, just in time to see a massive beast come stalking out of it.

It was a monstrous sight, perhaps ten feel tall at its broad shoulders and nearly as wide, too. Its body was covered in wiry rust-colored fur, and the outlines of thick muscles were visible under its coarse pelt. Its front legs were like those of a horse, but the back legs were like a lizard's, stretched to match the length of the front legs. It had two heads, one a wolf's and the other something like a crocodile's. Three tails whipped the air behind it; a scorpion tail, complete with a stinger at least a foot long, a hairless rat tail, and a tail like a snake's, only covered in fur rather than scales. The jumbled collection of creatures was growling with its wolf's head and hissing with its crocodile's head, approaching the others in a manner that boded ill for them if they remained.

"Ugly thing," Reen muttered, and D drew his sword as he readied for battle. The blade, one he'd gotten during their stay at the Barbarois, wasn't as good as his old one, but at the moment a weapon was a weapon. The Chimera halted for a moment when it saw the sunlight reflect from D's sword, its tails lashing in a way that it was a wonder they didn't get tangled together. "But it's not attacking. It looks like it's trying to drive us away."

"Don't get too comfortable," Czaz's voice said, causing Reen to jump. The Shifter had, at some point, returned to her normal humanoid form and was now standing a few scant inches from Reen's right side. The Dracolye glanced at her to see Czaz's fur was standing on end, something that would have made for a humorous sight if the situation weren't so dire. She was getting ready to say something else when a new voice greeted them, soft and feminine.

"It is okay. They are friends." The Chimera dropped its heads and shuffled back a few paces as a young girl stepped from behind it, placing a hand on one of its front legs. She was exactly as Mushin described, and D knew instantly this was the same girl he'd been seeing in his dreams. He could see she was older than his first thought, eight or nine rather than six, with deep purple hair and pale golden eyes. She was wearing simple tattered clothing but had no shoes on her feet, and appeared slightly emaciated. Despite her fragile appearance, there was a strange power radiating from the young girl. After studying the group for a moment, she moved towards them and smiled a little.

"I am Samiah. Please, come in."

* * *

Samiah led them into the cave the Chimera had come out of, and soon they were sitting in a wide cavern furnished with dozens of cushions. The Chimera settled itself onto the largest cushion, Samiah leaning against its side while the others settled in a semi-circle across from them. There were a few torches in sconces set in the stone walls, casting enough light to comfortably see by as Samiah began to speak.

"First, I will answer a question I know you all hold. I am indeed a Creature of the Light. I am the Creature of Compassion. I know you desire this information, for I see it in your minds." The girl smiled without humor, continuing before anyone could ask her to elaborate. "When I was two, perhaps three, I developed the ability to see into the minds of others. It was not something I could control, and it got to be a terrible burden. No one was spared this curse, least of all my parents, who came to fear and hate me as I feared and hated my power. You see, I could not tell things I saw in peoples' minds from things they said aloud, and I oftentimes commented on information I should not have known anything about. My parents…they were hardly good people, and had committed many crimes before my birth. They were terrified I'd reveal their misdoings, and so they hired someone from another city to come and take me away. This occurred when I was just a few days over five years old.

"I was shortly dumped in a town several hundred miles from my home, but I was lucky. I was found by a young couple not a day after being left in the streets to fend for myself. They were kind, honest people, and they had nothing they needed to hide from others. So it was that when they realized I could see into others' mind, they had nothing to fear, for there was nothing I could reveal that would damage their reputation or good standing. Instead, they did what they could to help me learn how to control my power, though having no experience in such a thing meant they were able to offer little in the way of tutelage.

"I stayed with them for a few years, and I eventually learned to close out the minds of others, to see only what I wanted to, only when I wanted to. But I could still sense the presence of dozens of minds, could feel the pressure bearing down on me, waiting for me to let my barriers down. So one evening I left a note for my adoptive parents and left, hoping to find a place where there were fewer minds to cope with. And, as luck would have it, I passed through Han'golos and learned of the Chimera that dwelled in these caves. I understood the danger a Chimera presented; indeed, I knew and understood many things any other child at that age would have never comprehended. Having seen so much from so many minds, I was mentally aged far beyond my physical years.

"Despite the danger I knew being near a Chimera would bring, I could think of no better place to spend my life. Away from the crushing force of untold minds, trying to force their secrets upon me and give me knowledge I didn't want. After all, who in their right mind would willingly come near the abode of such a terrible creature?

"It took several days before I found this place, and by then I was weak with hunger, thirst, and too much sun. I collapsed about a mile from the caves, and when I woke I found myself out of the sun. The Chimera had found me, bringing me into his home. I couldn't understand why he hadn't killed me until I saw into his mind and realized he felt peace and contentment when he was near me. That knowledge awoke the Creature within me and made me realize who and what I truly was. Since then I have been staying here, away from others. Away from danger."

The last sentence instantly caught Reen's attention, and though she had a feeling she already knew the answer, she wanted to know for certain.

"What do you mean, away from danger?"

"As I was passing through Han'golos, I picked up on a particularly powerful mind. I touched it only briefly, as it was full of dark and cruel thoughts. I learned, though, that the owner of that mind was seeking Creatures of the Light. Thus, when I learned of my heritage soon after, I felt it would be best for me to stay away from Han'golos, lest that evil presence discover me."

"Mushin, most likely," Reen said, her voice faint. For a moment her expression took on a pained tone, but it quickly changed back to determination, even excitement. "But that hardly matters now. We've found you before Zaizondii…but…" Reen's expression changed once more, this time to one of bemusement. "If Mushin knew you were here, then Zaicondii must have known as well. Why did he not send someone to fetch you?"

"I have a bad feeling," Czaz said softly, her eyes glinting in the light of the torches. Her face was drawn in a dark scowl, concern clear in her unfocused gaze as she stared at a wall. "We thought that a Creature being here might have been a lie, some sort of set-up or a trap to get us here. But now that we're here and it turns out there really is a Creature…it doesn't just seem like a trap. I can feel it, I can practically _smell_ it. We've been lured here and we fell for it without a hitch." No one argued Czaz's misgivings, as it was the only reasonable explanation as to why Samiah hadn't been captured. The young girl stood after a moment, her tone solemn as the Chimera got up as well.

"I have seen enough from your minds to know what has been going on, who this Zaicondii is, and the danger we are in. I know your mission, and I know are you friends who can be trusted. That being the case, perhaps it would be best if we left. The longer we stay here the more we risk this trap's jaws closing around us."

"I wonder how long Zaicondii has known about you," Reen said while she and the others got up as well. "How long he's been waiting for me to return to Han'golos and meet Mushin so we could be sent here. Mushin said he only heard rumors of you being here a few weeks ago, but it might have been months, maybe even years. Zaicondii is cunning if nothing else. It's possible he's been setting this up for a while. Leaving a Creature free long enough to snare both the Creature and an enemy of his at the same time is certainly something he'd go out of his way to do."

By this time the group was heading down a path lit only by the dim glow of light-shedding mold covering the stone. The Chimera was behind them, its hooves and claws clacking loudly against the rock beneath them. The sound was comforting, knowing that something so powerful was bringing up the rear. They took several twists and turns, Samiah leading them with confidence born of one who'd navigated the gloom of the place for some time. When they saw the dim light of a cave mouth appear in the distance, Reen had to fight the urge to go running towards it. She was anxious, nervous, and wanted to get as far away from the caves as they could.

They exited the caverns about seven minutes later, and it turned out it was through the same mouth they'd come in. Nightmare was grazing on a scraggly patch of dried grass and raised his head when the group emerged. He eyed the Chimera uneasily, prancing a bit before settling down when Czaz patted his nose. D and Reen joined them as Samiah grabbed a fistful of the Chimera's coarse coat, pulling herself onto its back with an ease that made it obvious she'd done it many times already. D and the others were getting ready to mount up as well, but Nightmare suddenly let out a high-pitched neigh and danced backwards, ears going flat as he tossed his head and stomped the ground. At the same time, the Chimera began to growl and hiss once more, its tails snapping and twisting. Not a moment later, Czaz's fur began to bristle and her lips pulled back in a snarl, her eyes flashing.

"Something's coming!" she said in a tense voice, and a moment later the others could sense it as well. A presence, faint at first but quickly growing in strength. Reen felt a sense of despair and fear rise within her, but quickly squashed it before it could overwhelm her. She could tell by how fast the presence was gaining power that they could never outrun whatever was coming, so she instead decided to prepare herself for a battle.

"Samiah, back into the caves!" she cried. Samiah scrambled from the Chimera's back and darted back into the cave mouth they'd just exited; the Chimera wasted no time placing his bulk before the entrance, clearly determined to protect the young girl he'd taken in. Not even a minute later Reen noticed a spot in the sky, one that was approaching them rapidly. She shivered as they waited for their foe to arrive, her muscles jumping under her skin. She shook her head and focused on the task at hand, that being to make sure none of them were killed or snatched away.

None of them spoke as the being drew closer, until finally it could be seen for what it was. A Dragon, covered in deep crimson scales and with a wingspan over thrice as long as Reen was tall. Her heart plunged and ice replaced her blood as the beast approached, and within a few minutes it landed atop the rock of the caves. It flared its wings out, keeping them taut as it peered down at them with sharply intelligent eyes.

_**~So, you are the ones the Master has sent me to fetch,~ **_ the Dragon said, its voice rich and masculine. He spoke neither physically nor by telepathy, but instead seemed to project his voice into the air, where it was then detected by one's whole body. It was a very strange sensation, but not any of them could waste time thinking about. Both the Chimera and Czaz were growling constantly and Nightmare was still stomping and shaking his head. Reen trembled as the Dragon continued to speak, his thick claws easily ripping deep furrows into the stone as he shifted. _**~Will you come willingly, or must there be a fight that will get you nothing but new scars?~**_

"Willingly?" Czaz spat, her hands clenched into tight fists as she stepped forward. "What makes you think we would just _go _with you? You must be damned crazy!"

_**~Hardly,~ **_the Dragon replied calmly, seemingly unconcerned with Czaz's outburst. He flicked his tail and absently raised a paw, inspecting his wicked talons for a moment. When he continued, he was still staring at his claws. _**~I am Drasin, the Creature of Knowledge. If I wish to know something I only need will it, and I know that you will be taken to the Master. Fighting will only delay that inevitability, but not prevent it.~**_

Reen was dumbfounded by the Dragon's words. Here was another Creature, but one tainted by Zaicondii's dark influence. While she knew the Creatures he'd already obtained were under his control, Reen had never had to fight one personally before. The idea caused her recently-repressed fear to surge to the surface and she began to tremble again, unable to move or speak. Drasin seemed to notice her attention and lowered his paw, his blazing eyes focusing fully on her and leaving her feeling crushed by its intensity.

_**~Reenaria Decolz, fifth child of Shitan Decolz and Zecora Decolz, the Dracolye of Truth and Time, respectively. Sister to the Dracolye Zera Decolz, Fidok Decolz, Sasha Decolz, and Zedrick Decolz. None of your siblings had discovered their Element, nor had you. Your family perished after being attacked by the Vampire Xin Collis, when you were approximately one hundred and seven years old. You were bitten on the right shoulder, which was shattered by the strength of the Vampire's jaws. Since then you have been trapped in this shape, unable to access most of your powers or return to your natural form.~ **_Drasin shrugged his shoulders and folded his wings against his back as Reen's mouth dropped. This beast was right, knowing her family's names and even an injury she'd forgotten she'd received that horrible day. Drasin's gaze held her eyes even as they filled with tears, both from grief and a new hopelessness that had yawned open within her heart. If this beast knew such details of her past, then how could she deny he knew the future as well? Knew that no matter what they did, they were doomed to fail?

She had no chance to try and response, because at that moment a sharp roaring filled her ears. She shook her head and blinked in surprise, clearing the gathering tears and seeing that the Chimera had lunged for Drasin. The Dragon's reaction was swift, as if he had already known that the Chimera was going to attack. He casually shifted his weight as his left wing snapped open, the outer ridge of hard bone along the top catching the Chimera in the chest and flinging the beast back to the ground. He hit with a heavy thud but seemed none worse for the wear, gaining his paws and leaping for Drasin once again. This time, though, both his heads opened their jaws and unleashed a torrent of white fire. The ivory conflagration washed over Drasin's upper body, hiding his head and neck from view. A moment later the Chimera's bulk crashed into, sending the two of them tumbling backwards. They grappled, the Chimera's fiery breath petering out when Drasin snapped his head down and clamped his jaws on the throat of the wolf's head. Despite the heat of the flames, Drasin seemed unhurt by them.

For several seconds the two large beasts rolled about on the uneven surface of the caverns, eventually falling off one of the edges. Drasin heaved his weight to one side, flipping them so it was the Chimera's back instead of his own that slammed into the ground. The mismatched beast let out a thin shriek from the force of the landing, lashing out managing to throw Drasin off him. Drasin landed on his paws as the Chimera stood, his wolf's head lolling and blood flowing from the wounds Drasin's fangs had torn into his flesh.

A loud roar caused Reen to jump, and a moment later she saw a large bronze shape go charging by. It turned out to be Czaz, now in the shape of an enormous bear almost as big as the Chimera. She barreled right into Drasin's right side, swiping at his neck with paws twice the size of a dinner plate and claws that were easily the size of a butter knife. Eight bloody gouges appeared on the Dragon's neck and trailed down his side, causing him to let out a roar that was more furious than pained. He raised his left paw and swung it towards Czaz, the resulting blow strong enough to send her rolling back several feet. The Shifter quickly got up but now had bright red blood staining her bronze fur. Without hesitating she charged towards Drasin again, bellowing loud enough to hurt Reen's ears. The Dragon roared back at her and drew his head back, then dropped his jaws open and released what looked like a beam of dark maroon energy. It hit Czaz head-on and once again sent her flying back, this time throwing her into the air instead of just sending her tumbling. She hit the ground hard and twitched, this time slower to get up. Before Drasin could attack her again, though, Reen noticed a smaller figure rushing towards their assailant.

Drasin noticed as well and once more shifted his weight, raising his tail up before bringing it back down with enough strength to make the air around the appendage whistle sharply. D easily dodged the massive tail as it crashed into the ground though, leaping onto it and using it as a bridge as he ran up Drasin's back. The Dragon snorted and abruptly dropped into a crouch, using a wing to bat the Dhampir from his back before he could regain his balance. D twisted in the air and landed on his feet, barely having time to evade Drasin's gaping jaws as their closed over where his head had been a second before. Drasin's scaly jaws opened in a mocking grin as his left paw darted forward, D's momentum carrying him directly into the Dragon's reach.

Claws longer than his sword caught D's back and opened long wounds that ran to his side as Drasin's paw hit him with enough power to snap a few ribs. The Dhampir didn't land until about ten feet later, where he was slow to get back up. The wounds in his flesh were already closing, but the ribs that had broken were shattered to the point that it would take hours, maybe even days, before they healed. Shoving the pain aside and ignoring it, D carefully watched Drasin as the Dragon faced him, a smirk still hanging on his opened maw. The smile morphed into a snarl as the Chimera abruptly slammed into Drasin's back, the crocodile head closing around the back of his head. While he was busy trying to dislodge the beast, Czaz came running back into view and threw herself at Drasin's belly, which he had exposed by rearing back on his hind legs in an effort to get the Chimera off him.

Reen could only watch as the others fought, unable to bring herself to shake the desolation that had settled around her like a physical weight. It grew heavier when Drasin lashed out and hit Czaz in the head before she could try and claw at the Dragon's belly, knocking her to the ground. The Chimera was buffeted by Drasin's bony wings to the point that he had to let go when his jaw was broken, and D was unable to get much closer before Drasin knocked him back with a flick of his snout. Once he'd repelled them, he shook his body and faced Reen with those smoldering, paralyzing eyes. She could see it, see that he was barely injured and had more than enough energy to fight them, but the Chimera was already grievously wounded and Czaz appeared to be knocked out, if not dead, from the blow to her temple. Reen could tell from the way D was moving that he was injured as well and clearing not healing very quickly. It had only been a few minutes and they had already taken heavy losses, while Drasin only had a few minor injuries on his neck to show for their efforts.

_**~You see the futility of it,~**_ Drasin said, and Reen abruptly found herself on her knees, unable to stay on her feet. _**~You see there is no chance of you winning. The others fight for naught, too weak to accept the fact that they cannot escape. Useless, really, such struggle.~**_ The Dragon flicked his tail again and slowly folded his wings, beginning to walk towards Reen as something in the back of her mind grasped at the beast's words and made a connection to those of another.

_You are far from useless...you also aren't weak..._

Reen watched Drasin coming closer, his gait slow and unworried, and felt something new rising in her. Anger, bubbling in the pit of her gut and spreading through the rest of her like venom. It wasn't enough to burn away the fear and hopelessness completely, but it was enough to give her the ability to act beyond them. Drasin came to a halt, cocking his head at her like a bird might scrutinize a worm that had suddenly sprouted legs and started running. He seemed amused and a bit surprised, but not at all worried that his prey would be getting away.

"We are not weak!" she cried, her voice so loud she was nearly screaming. "And fighting you is not useless! Giving up…simply giving in…that is weak. Whether your words are true or not is meaningless; we have nothing to lose if it is truth, and we have freedom to gain if it's not." The anger continued to rise in her, bordering on fury at the thought of her friends hurt, at the idea of someone as young as Samiah being twisted into little more than a tool for Zaicondii's use, at herself for nearly giving up on the others when they continued to fight. But then something odd happened, something Reen had never experienced before. She realized her anger wasn't directed at Drasin as much as it was directed at what had befallen her friends, and when this revelation struck, her anger changed. It went from a roiling heat pounding in her veins to a warm, gentle pulse that seemed to radiate from every molecule of her being. She was so encompassed by the sudden emotion that a fierce joy erased the anger and despair that had gripped her seconds before. Drasin recoiled a bit, his eyes narrowing and his wings snapping open.

_**~No,~**_ he hissed, but Reen barely registered his voice. The feeling that had sparked inside her was growing stronger and stronger, until she could hardly remember herself. She was so caught up in it that she didn't see the attack coming and was completely oblivious to it until the maroon beam washed over her and sent her flying. She came down on her side a few seconds later, the air blasting from her lungs from the impact. The sensation from a moment ago vanished as pain intruded, leaving Reen temporarily dazed and breathless. It took several minutes before she'd regained her senses enough to sit up, and at that time she saw that the Chimera had at some point jumped onto Drasin's back, his claws hooked deep into the Dragon's flesh. Drasin was shrieking and thrashing, too focused on trying to get the Chimera off him to notice that Czaz had recovered. The hulking bear shook her head a few times before seeing Drasin's distraction, and with a growl she reared onto her back legs. A few lumbering steps forward saw her directly in front of the flailing Drasin, who's head was twisted back as he tried to bite the Chimera attached to him. Wasting no time, Czaz reached up with her massive front legs and sank her claws into the top of Drasin's stomach, throwing herself forward as she fell back to the ground. The weight and momentum caused her talons to rip deep gouges into Drasin's stomach, parting the scales and flesh as if they were fine cotton.

Drasin screeched and blindly struck out, but Czaz had run forward under the Dragon's body once she was back on all fours. She now trundled out from under him as Drasin's wild retaliation, coupled with the weight of the Chimera on his back, caused him to lose his balance. He toppled to the ground and continued to flail, blood quickly beginning to pool under him from them wounds Czaz had inflicted. Shakily, Reen got to her feet as the Dragon's efforts began to weaken. Without being aware of it, the Dracolye slowly approached the injured Dragon, stopping about fifteen feet away. No longer thrashing about, the beast was now breathing heavily as his jaws gaped open, his tongue lolling. At some point he noticed Reen's presence, focusing on her as his legs twitched and jerked of their own volition.

_**~I see now,~**_ he said. _**~I did not learn enough, it would seem. I saw your despair here, saw the fighting, saw you in Master Zaincondii's lair. I saw this, but I did not see the truth. A mistake I have never before made…~**_ Here the Dragon was interrupted by a series of wet coughs, and Reen noticed the pink-tinged drool that was dribbling from the beast's open jaws. She knew very little of Dragon biology save the fact that the race's lungs ran the entire length of their body. It seemed that Czaz's attack had succeeded in tearing open one, if not both, of Drasin's lungs. _**~I did not think to check, to make sure it was I who had been the cause of you being there. I was certain in my strength, in the knowledge I had already gained. I was too sure of myself, it seems. A difference exists in knowing information and truly understanding it, a lesson I have always known, always followed. Until now. Perhaps I have grown tired of capturing fellow Creatures and handing them to Zaicondii, and subconsciously set myself up to fail. Perhaps I was simply too confident.~**_ Drasin shuddered then, his body beginning to convulse until he was flailing again, gripped in a seizure of death. The Dragon began to cough again, a fine mist of blood emanating from his jaws with every violent expulsion. Reen backed away, and despite everything she couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness for the dying Dragon's suffering. After all, he had never asked for the fate that had been shoved upon him and was now paying for it.

After perhaps two minutes, Drasin's body stiffened before falling limp. His eyes lost their intensity and became glassy as his final breath sighed from his jaws. Reen jumped when she heard the Dragon speak one last time, his dying gasp carrying a parting message.

_**~He will send the Giver and the Taker, and they will finish what I started.~**_

* * *

Reen awoke several hours later, her body stiff and sore. She groaned softly and sat up with a wince, momentarily disoriented as she glanced around. It only took a second for everything to catch up with her, and she groaned again as she forced herself to her feet and went to a nearby basin to get a drink of water.

After Drasin's death, Reen had spent practically all her energy in Healing the Chimera, Czaz, and D's injuries. She'd also been left feeling lightheaded and giddy since the strange event that occurred after Drasin had riled her anger. Coupled with the strain of so much Healing, it had been enough to nearly make her pass out. Now, as she took a few drinks of water, she found she felt oddly…incomplete. It wasn't the same she felt about being unable to assume her TrueForm, but it was just as sharp and unpleasant. She had touched something before Drasin had interrupted whatever was happening, touched something incredible and exhilarating, but had it snatched from her before she could grasp it fully. She growled in frustration and angrily tossed the bent-up metal cup back into the water basin, turning and leaning against it as she vigorously rubbed her face with her hands. She stayed that way for some time, trying to make sense of what she was feeling now.

When she returned to where they'd all settled to rest, she found the others were now awake as well. Samiah motioned for her to join them, an odd expression on her face. She looked happy and somber at the same time, and Reen instantly felt a prickle run down her spine. She sat on a cushion between D and Czaz, her muscles protesting from all the movement.

"While you were all fighting Drasin, I managed to access his mind and learn a few things," she said. "It wasn't easy, as he was old and very powerful, capable of keeping me out of his thoughts without even realizing he was doing it. Only in his final moments was I able to learn what I now know.

"He was the one who has been telling Zaicondii the identity and location of the various Creatures. He was one of the first Zaicondii captured, and with his powers of instant knowledge of whatever he desired, Drasin could immediately learn who the Creatures were, or who they would be if they had yet to be born.

"I learned only a few more useful things besides that. When Drasin said he didn't check if we'd been brought in by him, it was because he overlooked a very important piece of information that wasn't provided to him because what he'd desired to know didn't reflect it." Here she fixed Reen with such an intense stare the Dracolye became rather uncomfortable, fidgeting on her cushion and avoiding the desire to look away. "He didn't know that you'd be going to Zaicondii's lair on your own accord. That between your fight with him and your journey to confront Zaicondii, he would inadvertently cause you to awaken, thanks to the very fact that he didn't ensure it was he that brought us in." Samiah's gaze grew even more piercing as she leaned forward a bit, and Reen became aware of the fact that her heart was racing, that her breath was harder to draw. She didn't realize she was leaning in as well, knowing the girl before her was about to reveal something profound. "What Drasin didn't know, what he overlooked, was that he would spark your awakening as a Creature of the Light."

Reen blinked once, for a moment unable to comprehend what Samiah had just said. The words echoed in her mind but she couldn't make them make sense. When it finally clicked the Dracolye was only capable of sputtering incoherently, her eyes wide with disbelief. Samiah chuckled at her response, which was mirrored by Czaz, and though he was able to contain his surprise better than the others, it was obvious the revelation stunned D as well. Samiah motioned to get their attention before focusing her gaze on the Dhampir, a smile growing on her face.

"The reason Zaicondii planned for you two to be here wasn't just to try and capture two Creatures, though. It was to catch the last three. Where I am the Creature of Compassion and Reen the Creature of Love, you stand as the final Creature and represent Honor." Samiah then leaned back as the others stared at her with varying degrees of shock, her face cast into shadows by the torches in the cave. "It would seem the journey has only just begun…"


End file.
